Right to Contraception Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Allowing Greater Access to Safe and Effective Contraception Act and against H.R. 8373. My colleague, Dr. Michael Burgess, has listed its many flaws, and this is an extreme bill from a desperate majority.

I was proud to join my colleague, Representative Hinson from Iowa, in introducing this bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit so we can bring this bill to the floor. This bill would make FDA-approved oral contraceptives available for over-the- counter use.

In 2019, I championed similar legislation as a member of the Iowa State Senate that would allow women over the age of 18 to access over- the-counter oral contraceptives.

As a physician, a former director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, and a mother, I understand how important it is for women to have increased access to oral contraceptives. The Iowa Senate knew it, too, which is why our State senate passed that bill with overwhelmingly bipartisan support, and it would have passed with only Republican support.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against H.R. 8373 and for the motion to recommit.

Madam Speaker, over the past month, the issue of abortion has been a prevalent topic in the news in light of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. I am pro-life. Most of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not. But regardless of our stance, we can all agree that we should enact policies to reduce the number of women who feel the need to seek an abortion.

The evidence is clear. One of the best ways we can prevent abortions is to increase access to contraception. Research has shown us time and time again that if you make it easier for women to access oral contraceptives, you lower the rate of unplanned pregnancies.

Providing over-the-counter contraceptives is safe and effective for women. Oral contraceptives were first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1960 and have been on the market since. But H.R. 8373 would allow non-FDA-approved drugs and devices.

The ones that have been approved are safe and pose fewer health risks than some drugs that are already being sold over the counter. Oral contraceptives are one of the most popular methods for preventing conception and avoiding pregnancy.

In addition, women use birth control pills or oral contraceptives for a variety of other reasons. They can use them for regulating menstruation, to prevent anemia, to prevent painful heavy periods, and to address acne.

Making oral contraceptives available over the counter will also provide benefits to populations that have historically faced challenges in accessing healthcare, such as low-income, rural, and young women. The NIH conducted a study that compared women receiving oral contraceptives through a prescription to women who were able to get oral contraceptives over the counter. The results of this study indicated that women were more likely to continue taking oral contraceptives if they are able to buy them over the counter.

We can also ensure that young women have timely and more affordable access to care, but we do not want women to circumvent getting their preventative healthcare. We can ensure that young women who are statistically less likely to seek regular care at a primary care provider OB/GYN have access to oral contraceptives, and we can ensure that low-income women who may face financial challenges in taking time off their job to attend a doctor's appointment still have access to oral contraceptives.

I want to be clear that this bill is not an effort to circumvent the need for women to seek regular, preventative care. If oral contraceptives are approved for over-the-counter use, then women should continue to meet with their primary care provider, and they should continue to see their OB/GYN. It is imperative that women are fully apprised of any potential side effects of contraceptives and advised if they are at increased risk of potential side effects, but that is not what H.R. 8373 does. It does not protect women's health.

In my experience as a doctor in caring for women, we are knowledgeable; we are capable; and we are not going to avoid going to a doctor merely because we can get drugs or medicine without having seen that provider for a prescription. So, I trust the intelligence and capabilities of women to make informed decisions about their own care.

Let me be clear. Our oral contraception bill is pro-family, pro- women, and pro-life. H.R. 8373 is not.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to do the right thing. Vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit and against H.R. 8373, and let's bring this commonsense bill to the floor.

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