Blog of Rights
Sarah
Lipton-Lubet

Sarah Lipton-Lubet is a policy counsel in the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office, where her work focuses on reproductive freedom and women’s rights. Sarah came to the ACLU from the Center for Reproductive Rights, and previously clerked for the Honorable Richard Paez of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as the Honorable Nancy Gertner of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Sarah earned a J.D. from Yale Law School, where she was Symposium Editor of the Yale Law Journal, and a B.A. summa cum laude from Northwestern University in American Studies.

05/23/2012
Contraception

Twelve More Lawsuits, Still No Case

By Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 12:55pm
Every few weeks, opponents of birth control manage to garner some media attention by objecting – again – to the federal contraceptive coverage rule, which ensures that millions of women will have affordable insurance coverage for contraception without extra out-of-pocket costs. But time after time, it’s just more of the same. 
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11/18/2011
Shaheen Amendment

The Shaheen Amendment Promises Basic Fairness for Servicewomen. Now Let's Get a Vote!

By Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 5:44pm

Today, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen took a historic stand for military women. Now it’s our turn to stand with her.

More than 400,000 women serve in the armed forces and put their lives at risk to preserve our rights and safeguard our freedom. Yet these women are denied access to the same care available to the civilians they protect. If you’re a woman putting your life on the line for your country in the U.S. military, your health insurance won’t cover abortion care even if you’re a victim of sexual assault.

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05/11/2011

Raped in the Peace Corps? U.S. Policy Makes a Bad Situation Worse.

By Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 10:53am

This morning, former Peace Corps volunteer Carol Clark will testify before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, along with other sexual assault survivors, in a hearing addressing "problems of safety and security" in the Peace Corps. Yesterday, ABC News gave us a taste of her story. In the early 1980s, Clark was twice raped during her service in Nepal, and then forced out of the program by officials who thought it more prudent to blame the victim than actually address the safety of the volunteers in their care. Appalling accounts of recent sexual violence in the corps moved her to come forward now.

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05/03/2011

If You Get Raped, You Better Keep a Receipt

By Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 1:49pm

This week, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) returned from April recess with a spring in his step and a gleam in his eye. At the top of his agenda? A far-reaching attack on abortion access, misleadingly titled the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," or as we like to say in the beltway, H.R. 3, which is scheduled for a vote tomorrow.

You might have thought that the anti-choice leaders in the House would be worn out from trying — and failing — to hold up the entire federal budget over cervical cancer screenings (which, contrary to assertions made on Fox & Friends, you can't get at Walgreens). But these days they appear to have limitless energy for attacking women's health and well-being. This week's target is insurance coverage that includes abortion care.

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07/27/2012
Using Religion to Discriminate

Court’s Ruling to Allow Employer to Discriminate Out of Step; Threatens Women’s Health

By Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office & Brigitte Amiri, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project at 4:30pm

A federal court in Colorado today put a temporary halt on the implementation of the Obama administration’s contraceptive coverage rule, with respect to one company. The contraceptive coverage rule requires insurance plans to cover contraception and stop routinely discriminating against women. The decision, if upheld, could pave the way for businesses to use their owners’ religion as an excuse to discriminate. 

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06/07/2012
Contraception

On the Anniversary of Griswold, the Facts about Contraception

By Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 10:31am

On this day in 1965, the Supreme Court first protected the right to contraception. A 7-2 decision, Griswold v. Connecticut was joined by justices appointed by Republicans and Democrats alike. It opened the door to a world in which people are free to form intimate relationships, lead healthy sexual lives, pursue educational and employment opportunities, and decide whether and when to become parents. 

And yet now, 47 years later, contraception has become a hot button issue. Much of the recent discussion has consisted of rhetoric such as then-Presidential contender Rick Santorum’s statement that birth control is “not OK, because it’s a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be”, or the Alliance Defense Fund’s assertion that providing insurance coverage for contraception “propel[s] [us] down an anti-pregnancy path”. On this anniversary, let’s celebrate with the facts:

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02/16/2012
Birth Control Coverage

Contraception Mandate Doesn't Break New Ground

By Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 3:55pm

In the past several weeks, as a nation, we’ve been hit by an endless barrage of commentary on the new rule requiring insurance companies to cover contraception with no co-pay. Who would have thought that in 2012, contraception — something 98 percent of women use at some point in their lives — could set off such a firestorm?

Last week, the Obama administration offered a solution that we hope calms the embers.

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10/12/2011
EMTALA

Watch Your Back — They're Gambling with Your Life

By Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 12:28pm

The House is slated to vote today on an unprecedented bill that would allow hospitals to let women die at their doorsteps.

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08/15/2012
Using Religion to Discriminate

Another Contraception Challenge, Another Misguided Argument

By Brigitte Amiri, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project & Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office & Witold Walczak, Legal Director, ACLU of Pennsylvania at 4:14pm

As we’ve written before, history has a way of repeating itself. Private companies that are challenging the federal rule that requires employers to provide insurance coverage for contraception without a co-pay are also repeating their same, misguided argument that the rule violates their religious liberty. Yesterday the ACLU filed an amicus brief in the most recent case raising these arguments – this time in a case brought by a lumber company.

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07/18/2012
Contraception

One Down and 23 to Go: Judge Tosses Baseless Challenge to Birth Control Coverage

By Sarah Lipton-Lubet, ACLU Washington Legislative Office & Brigitte Amiri, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project at 4:53pm

Tuesday, a Nebraska federal court rejected a lawsuit challenging the Obama administration’s rule requiring insurance plans to cover contraception. This was the first of two dozen challenges to be decided.   We applaud the court’s decision and hope that the judges in the other cases follow the Nebraska federal judge’s lead.

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