Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Wednesday, June 24, the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC), led by Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and Policy Task Force Co-Chairs Deborah Ross (NC-02) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), released its Women’s Healthcare Legislative Slate. The second of a series of legislative packages corresponding to DWC’s Better Future Agenda, the Women’s Healthcare Slate is a diverse set of bills grounded in one goal: a future where all women and families have affordable, accessible healthcare. 

This slate comes at a critical moment. Today, Wednesday June 24, is the four year anniversary of the Dbbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and struck down the constitutional right to abortion. This decision deprived millions of women of access to abortion care, with full bans or severe restrictions in 25 states. Since the start of the second Trump administration, the President and congressional Republicans have continued and expanded attacks on healthcare to include the largest ever cuts to Medicaid, devastating blows to Medicare, attacks on women’s health research, defunding Planned Parenthood, withholding funds for Title X clinics, and the devastation of our country’s critical rural hospitals.

Women across this country deserve better. That’s why Democratic Women’s Caucus members are demanding a future that protects and expands reproductive healthcare; lowers the cost of prescription drugs and healthcare coverage; addresses the maternal mortality crisis; invests in mental health and substance use treatment; provides healthcare for immigrant women and girls; confronts racial and gender disparities in healthcare outcomes; and defends Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act. 

Read here a slate of bills led by DWC members that we are pushing forward to fulfill our commitment to building a healthier, more equitable future for all. 

Read quotes from Democratic Women’s Caucus members with legislation included in the slate:

“The Democratic Women’s Caucus is fighting against Trump and Republicans’ attacks to strip healthcare from women and families. We are championing a Better Future where every woman has access to the healthcare she needs,” said DWC Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03). “Our Better Future Agenda is not just our vision for the future—it is a legislative plan. It reflects the diverse expertise of DWC’s members and includes very specific policies that we are ready to make reality. These bills would create a future where every mom can afford healthcare for her kid, every patient has access to treatments developed for women's health, and every young woman can make decisions about her own body and her own future without government interference. We look forward to the work ahead to pass these bills into law and our continued work to make accessible, affordable healthcare available to every woman and family in every corner of our nation.”

"Under Trump, women’s health care is under unprecedented attack by those who neither share our experiences nor bear the consequences of these actions," said DWC Policy Task Force Co-Chair Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37). "The Better Future Legislative Slate is a direct response to the recent assaults on reproductive freedom, maternal health services, and health care funding. I’m proud that the Limiting ICE’s National Encroachment Act, my bill to prevent federal agencies from sharing medical data with ICE for immigration enforcement purposes, has been included in this fight. DWC is advancing a healthier, more equitable future where women—not Republican men—have the power to make decisions about our own bodies, families, and livelihoods.” 

“Four years after Dobbs, women are facing the consequences of a relentless campaign to roll back their healthcare and reproductive freedom—in North Carolina and across the country,” said DWC Policy Task Force Co-Chair Deborah Ross (NC-02). “From abortion bans and threats to contraception access to attacks on Medicaid and women’s health research, Republicans continue to insert politics into deeply personal healthcare decisions. The Democratic Women’s Caucus is offering a different path forward. Our Women’s Healthcare Slate is a comprehensive agenda to lower healthcare costs, tackle the maternal mortality crisis, strengthen access to reproductive care, and ensure every woman can get the care she needs, regardless of where she lives or how much she earns.”

“Four years after Dobbs, women across our country continue to face attacks on their reproductive freedom and barriers to the healthcare they need. That is why I am fighting to combat abortion misinformation through the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act, reaffirm that emergency abortion care is protected under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, improve infant food safety through the INFANTS Act, expand access to nutritious foods through the Food Farmacy Act, and strengthen our behavioral health workforce through the Mental Health Improvement Act. Women deserve accurate information, affordable care, and the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions, and I will continue working to build a healthier future for women and families in Ohio and across the country,” said DWC Vice Chair Emilia Sykes (OH-13).

“As the first woman to represent Michigan's Third District, I've seen firsthand the cost of underrepresentation. Nowhere is that clearer than in medical research, which is why I'm working to close these gaps in our understanding of women's health," said DWC Vice Chair Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI-03). “My bill in this package, the Hormone Health Data and Research Act, directs NIH and HHS to study hormone variability and testing in women experiencing perimenopause—a condition that affects millions but has not received the research dollars it deserves. Women deserve healthcare guided by evidence, and that starts with investing in the research we've neglected for far too long.”

"Access to all forms of healthcare in the military—including abortion—is about freedom. Our military families sacrifice so much for us, yet too many of my colleagues have decided that members of our armed forces should not have something as fundamental as bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom," said DWC Servicewomen, Women Veterans, and Military Families Task Force Chair Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06). "Access to abortion is also a matter of military readiness. To be ready to fight tomorrow's wars, we must recruit and retain the brightest minds and fiercest fighters this country has to offer."

DWC Member Services Task Force Co-Chair Sara Jacobs (CA-51) said, “It is unbelievable that we are still arguing over a woman's right to health care in 2026, but we have no choice. Republicans at every level of government are actively trying to take us back to a time when women could not make decisions about their own bodies. They are slashing funding for research related to women’s health and reproductive care, attacking rights to contraception, and criminalizing life-saving reproductive health care services. That is why we need legislation like what’s included in this slate: to guarantee women the right to accessible, equitable healthcare.”

“Four years after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Republicans have not relented in their attacks on women’s abortion care and reproductive freedom. Across the country, and especially in states like Texas, women are facing the dangerous reality that their health care decisions are increasingly being dictated by politicians, not patients and their doctors. From efforts to restrict reproductive health care to policies that threaten women’s fundamental rights and freedoms, Republicans continue to use the power of government to exert control over women’s lives. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in the Democratic Women’s Caucus to defend, restore, and expand the rights and freedoms that every woman in this country deserves,” said DWC Equality Caucus Liaison Julie Johnson (TX-32).

“Four years after Dobbs, the damage is undeniable. Trump’s extremist Supreme Court opened the door to attacks on contraception, abortion care, and maternal health—and Black women have paid the highest price. But we are not going backward. I’m proud that seven of my bills are included in the Democratic Women’s Caucus legislative slate because restoring reproductive freedom means more than overturning Dobbs—it means guaranteeing access to care, confronting the Black maternal health crisis, and treating reproductive rights as human rights. We will keep fighting until every person has the freedom to make decisions about their own body, family, and future,” said DWC Chief Whip Nikema Williams (GA-05).

“At a time when women’s health is blatantly under attack, the Democratic Women’s Caucus is fighting for the healthy, safe, and equitable future that every woman deserves,” said DWC Reproductive Health Care Task Force Co-Chair and Liaison Judy Chu (CA-28). “While the Trump Administration continues to undermine reproductive health care, women’s health research, and access to Medicare and Medicaid, I am introducing legislation to restore women’s right to choose and expand women’s healthcare coverage. Together with my colleagues in the Democratic Women’s Caucus, we will fight to pass this Better Future Agenda.”

“Four years after the Dobbs decision stripped away the fundamental right of women across the country to make decisions about their own bodies, women across America continue to face relentless attacks on their health care, bodily autonomy, and basic rights,” said DWC Member Services Task Force Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). “The DWC is fighting back to ensure every woman can access the care they deserve. That's why I am proud to stand with the Democratic Women's Caucus to advance legislation that protects women's health and strengthens maternal healthcare.”

"At a time when health coverage is under attack, women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer cannot afford arbitrary waiting periods and barriers to care. Instead of dealing with red tape and mounting medical bills, patients should be able access the benefits they've earned when they need them most. My bipartisan Metastatic Breast Cancer Act would provide immediate access to Medicare and SSDI benefits for individuals living with metastatic breast cancer, eliminating barriers that prevent patients from receiving the support they deserve," said DWC member Kathy Castor (FL-14). 

“Women’s healthcare has long been marginalized and relegated to the medical research sidelines, but the disastrous Dobbs decision four years ago reminds us that even the right to fundamental control of our own body is at stake,” said DWC member Wasserman Schultz (FL-25). “Throughout my career, I’ve fought non-stop to protect the health, safety, and well-being of women and girls, from passing my EARLY Act to educate young women about the risks of breast cancer, to ensuring women veterans, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, get the healthcare they deserve at VA. I’ll keep up the pressure with my DWC colleagues until women receive the healthcare they deserve." 

“It’s been four years since the Dobbs decision, and the consequences are devastating. We must protect and expand reproductive healthcare and give decision-making back to patients and providers, not politicians. Women need accessible, affordable, and supportive reproductive and maternal care, and I'm grateful that this package includes my legislation to stand up against high healthcare costs and disinformation,” said DWC member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1).

“Since the Supreme Court stripped away the constitutional right to abortion in Dobbs, women are paying the price in a healthcare system that too often ignores their needs, pain, and safety. I'm proud to fight back alongside the Democratic Women's Caucus by coleading the Healthy Hair Act, which would ban hair straightening and smoothing products that contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen found in products disproportionately marketed to Black and Latina women. From reproductive freedom to the products in our homes, we will not stop fighting until every woman can live a healthy, dignified life,” said DWC member Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07).

“Donald Trump, his administration, and his allies in Congress make our country less safe for women and girls on an almost daily basis. We need to use every tool at our disposal to fight back,” said DWC member Becca Balint (VT-AL). “Today, on the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, I’m proud to be standing alongside my colleagues in the Democratic Women’s Caucus to introduce these bills that protect access to life-saving healthcare. I’m pleased that it includes my Stop Comstock Act, which would stop Republicans from using an arcane law from the 1800s to bypass Congress and enact a national abortion ban. It couldn’t be clearer: the time for action is now."

“For too long, women's health has been an afterthought and women's safety has been treated as someone else's problem. The Democratic Women’s Caucus legislative slate says not anymore. My HEADACHE Act finally invests in the millions of people, most of them women, living with chronic migraine and headache disorders that have gone underfunded and overlooked for decades. My Protect Patients from Healthcare Abuse Act makes sure that when a woman walks into an exam room, she walks out safe. I'm proud to stand with my Democratic Women's Caucus colleagues to unveil this slate, and I look forward to advancing these bills to improve women's lives across the country,” said DWC member Lori Trahan (MA-03).

“The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade unleashed a coordinated assault on reproductive freedom that continues to endanger the health and lives of millions of women across our nation. With abortion banned or severely restricted in 20 states, many concentrated in the South, women are being denied access to essential health care that should remain a decision between a patient and their doctor, not one dictated by political agendas or extremist ideologies. We must reject these relentless attacks on fundamental rights and continue fighting to ensure that every woman has the freedom, dignity, and autonomy to make decisions about her own body,” said DWC member and Black Women & Girls Caucus Co-Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09).

“Women’s healthcare—including abortion access, maternal care, drug costs, and clinical trials—should be prioritized and centered in federal policy,” said DWC member Robin Kelly (IL-02). “As the legislator who brought the issue of maternal mortality to Congress, I’m focused on ensuring all moms, no matter the color of their skin or where they live, receive the care they need and deserve to thrive. I’m proud to be a member of the Democratic Women’s Caucus as we present a united front to improving healthcare for women.”

“I have spent my career fighting for women’s healthcare, and I am proud to see all of the ideas to lower costs and improve quality of life that Democrats are bringing to the table,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03). “The American people are tired of paying more and more for healthcare under President Trump. My bills in this slate would help women across the country who have struggled to access the services they need: the Access to Fertility Treatment and Care Act, which would support fertility treatment, and the Find It Early Act, which would require insurance coverage for screening and diagnostic breast imaging with no out-of-pocket costs. I am also proud to support this entire slate, which would take direct aim at the high cost of healthcare that is holding American families back.”

“Four years after the Dobbs decision, women veterans are still facing political attacks on their reproductive freedom,” said DWC member Julia Brownley (CA-26). “This comprehensive Healthcare Slate would protect and strengthen access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care services for veterans, including contraception, infertility treatment, menopause care, and abortion care. Women veterans deserve access to a full spectrum of reproductive health care services and the freedom to make their own health care decisions in consultation with their doctors, not politicians. As attacks on reproductive rights continue, we must ensure that veterans can access the care, services, and support they have earned through their service to our nation.”

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