By Elayne Weiss, Washington Legislative Office at 3:57pm
Good news came out of the Senate last week, when the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a "clean" D.C. spending bill that does not impose restrictions prohibiting the District from using its own local funds to provide abortion care for low-income women. Adding to this welcomed news is the fact that, despite concerns, no amendments were offered to impose such a restriction during consideration of the bill.
By Elayne Weiss, Washington Legislative Office & Vania Leveille, Washington Legislative Office at 11:55am
We're happy to report that last Wednesday, the Obama administration criticized a provision in a bill that bans the District of Columbia from using its own local funds to pay for abortion care for low-income women. The White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy, in which it stated that this provision "undermines the principle of states' rights and of D.C. home rule."
By Elayne Weiss, Washington Legislative Office at 11:30am
This month Congress took an important step to address sexual violence in the Peace Corps. The Kate Puzey Peace Corps Protection Act, named after a volunteer who was murdered while serving in Benin, would require the Peace Corps to provide sexual assault risk-reduction and response training, employ victim advocates, develop sexual assault guidelines and establish a Sexual Assault Advisory Council.
By Elayne Weiss, Washington Legislative Office at 5:35pm
Today, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) took a stand on behalf of U.S. military women and families when they introduced the Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health (MARCH) for Military Women Act. Earlier in the month, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) introduced a House companion bill, which already has been cosponsored by 44 representatives. The legislation would provide federal coverage for abortion care for military personnel and families in cases of rape or incest and allow privately-funded abortions to be performed at military treatment facilities.
By Elayne Weiss, Washington Legislative Office at 1:22pm
Over the last several weeks, we’ve heard quite a bit of heated rhetoric about federal spending, including misguided and ill-advised calls to defund Planned Parenthood and the Title X Family Planning Program. But finally there was a breath of fresh air on Tuesday when Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) introduced a bill to end taxpayer-funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
By Elayne Weiss, Washington Legislative Office at 11:11am
It’s time for politicians to quit playing games with the reproductive health care of women around the world by making sure that the Global Gag Rule, a dangerous, anti-democratic restriction on overseas family planning aid, remains a thing of the past. Thankfully, Representative Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) reintroduced the Global Democracy Promotion Act (H.R. 2639) this week, which protects U.S. foreign aid from politicized restrictions by ensuring that international organizations are not banned from getting U.S. aid based on the type of health or medical services, counseling or referral they offer.
Over the last several weeks, we’ve heard quite a bit of heated rhetoric about federal spending, including misguided and ill-advised calls to defund Planned Parenthood and the Title X Family Planning Program. But finally there was a breath of fresh air on Tuesday when