House-Passed CR Would Let Bosses Impose Their Beliefs on Their Women Employees

(Washington, D.C.) Late Saturday night, the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution (CR) that would avoid a government shutdown, under the condition that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is delayed for a year, and has singled out women by allowing their employers to opt out of covering women’s preventive health services if they oppose them for “religious or moral” reasons.

The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) sharply criticized the House bill for targeting women’s health care. The following is a statement from NWLC Co-President Marcia D. Greenberger:

“It is outrageous that some politicians are using women’s health as a bargaining chip. They are turning on their own constituents and holding them hostage to their own ideological views.

“This version of the CR would allow bosses to impose their religious beliefs on the women who work for them by blocking women’s access to preventive health care for broad and undefined ‘moral’ reasons. Women are more than capable of making their own health decisions and have a right to do so without interference from their bosses or members of Congress.

“The Center calls on the Senate to reject conditions on the CR, including this latest outrage targeting women.”

For more information, visit: http://www.nwlc.org/resource/house-passed-continuing-resolution-would-let-bosses-make-their-women-employees-health-decis

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The National Women's Law Center is a non-profit organization that has been working since 1972 to advance and protect women's equality and opportunity. The Center focuses on major policy areas of importance to women and their families including economic security, education, employment and health, with special attention given to the concerns of low-income women. For more information on the Center, visit: www.nwlc.org.