Less than one minute could stop corporations like Hobby Lobby from violating women’s reproductive rights.
You may have heard the great news that the Obama administration has introduced a plan to make sure women continue to have access to contraception without a co-pay — one of the tenets of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that helps ensure that women don’t pay more for preventive healthcare services just because they’re women.
The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Hobby Lobby case threatens women’s access to care, and not just the women who work for the for-profit corporation that objected to the birth control mandate on religious grounds. At least 100 other companies have filed suit to fight the mandate, on the grounds that it violates their owners’ religious freedoms.
The Obama administration’s workaround for for-profit corporations works much like the accommodation already available for non-profit organizations, allowing employees of companies like Hobby Lobby to get no-cost contraception directly from their insurance company.
Undoubtedly, the rabid right and pro-life/anti-choice lobby will fight the administration’s proposed rule. In fact, according to this great explainer from Talking Points Memo, they’ve already started.
That’s okay. Supporters of choice and reproductive rights can fight back. Before the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services decides whether or not to authorize the proposed rule, there’s a required public comment period. That’s where you come in.
The fabulous UltraViolet has created a petition to make it easy to submit your own public comment in support of the proposed rule.
You can simply sign the petition here, but in an email to supporters UltraViolet strongly urges adding a personal comment. Here are a few facts they provided to help you make your case.
The Department of Health and Human Services must approve of the proposed rule that ensures employees at “closely held” corporations like Hobby Lobby are guaranteed birth control coverage while respecting religious beliefs. 99% of women ages 15-44 use birth control at some point of their lives, 60% of them for a reason other than preventing pregnancy–such as treating ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease and endometriosis. Over 1 in 3 women struggled to afford birth control at some point in their lives, while over 27 million already use the free birth control benefit in the Affordable Care Act. To take that away from tens of thousands because of a boss’ objection is morally wrong.
Your vote. Your choice. Your voice. Be heard by signing the petition.
