MEDIA RELEASE

Sen. Brian Schatz has voted for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s amendment (SA 438) to the budget that will ensure that employers cannot deny coverage of basic services, such as access to contraception through private insurance plans, and other important family-planning services.

This amendment authorizes a deficit-neutral reserve fund to protect women’s access to basic health care. This includes primary and preventative health care; family planning and birth control; and employer-provided contraceptive coverage.

“We must do everything we can to protect every woman’s access to affordable health care, and this amendment does just that,” Schatz said. “President Obama’s Affordable Care Act provides key provisions that are critical to family planning, such as contraception and preventive services like cancer screenings. I praise Senator Shaheen for introducing today’s amendment that would provide a reserve fund in order to ensure that the provisions in the Affordable Care Act are fully enforced so that women across the country are provided with the necessary care that they deserve.”