HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN'S HEALTH

On 2026-05-13, Representative Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-7) delivered a floor speech titled "HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN'S HEALTH" in the House.

HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN'S HEALTH

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 81 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026)] [House] [Pages H3447-H3450] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN'S HEALTH (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Ms. Morrison of Minnesota was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.) General Leave Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material into the Record. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Minnesota? There was no objection. Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur). [[Page H3448]] Supporting Ukraine Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the courtesy. Today, I rise sincerely to thank 218 House bipartisan colleagues for signing Discharge Petition No. 8 in order to force a vote here on the floor for a long-overdue vote on the Ukraine Support Act. Liberty for Ukraine and for NATO hangs in the balance. For 12 years, Ukraine's people have valiantly endured Russia's savage war to eradicate Ukraine, its children, and Ukraine's very identity. As today's forces continue liberating stolen territory, our bipartisan petition represents strong support for Ukraine's defense of liberty. Vladimir Putin must stop and end his horrific invasion of a free nation. I am confident that this bill will pass this House. Let me thank especially Congressmen Steny Hoyer, Don Bacon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Kevin Kiley, Mike Quigley, and all those in the Ukraine Caucus who have fought so long and hard in our bipartisan support for Ukraine that transcends party lines. All 218 signatories have the gratitude of the American people, the whole of the Ukrainian nation, and freedom lovers around the world. Let us now pass this bill with dispatch before the end of next week. Mr. Speaker, I include a summary of H.R. 2913. H.R. 2913--Ukraine Support Act summary This bipartisan legislation enhances security assistance to Ukraine while placing long overdue sanctions on Russia to force Vladimir Putin to end the war on Ukraine. ukraine security assistance Extends Lend-Lease authority through 2028. Authorizes up to $8 Billion in Foreign Military Financing loans. Extends Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. Supports Baltic Allies. Establishes new mechanisms to support Ukraine's recovery. Supports intelligence cooperation. russia sanctions and export controls If Russia continues waging war against Ukraine or refusing to negotiate a peace agreement in good faith, requires the President to sanction: Russin financial institutions; Russia's energy industry; Constructors and maintainers of the Kerch Strait Bridge; Russia's Shadow Fleet; Facilitators of North Korea's participation in the invasion of Ukraine; All foreign persons involved in the kidnapping of Ukranian children; Imposes export licensing requirements on foreign-produced items known to be destined for Russian military or industrial activities, and to prevent US-origin drone technology from being shared with Iran. 500 percent tariffs on Russia. Vote yes on the Ukraine Support Act to pressure Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday, millions celebrated the work, love, and support mothers give to their children and families across the country. There are so many ways, seen and unseen, that mothers show up for their families and care for their communities. I know that I am incredibly grateful to my beloved mother and for the privilege of getting to be the mother to my three wonderful children. Appropriately, Mother's Day also marked the beginning of National Women's Health Week. This provides the opportunity to highlight women's health, reflect on the progress we have made and the ongoing research we need, and to commit to the continued advancement of access, quality, and affordability in women's healthcare. {time} 2020 Advancing women's health and delivering the best possible care requires a strong collaboration between the many caregivers and entities that have built and continue the work of advancing women's healthcare. One organization that has been an indispensable partner to all obstetrician/gynecologists in their quest to provide the best evidence- based care to their patients over the past 75 years is the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Over its 75-year legacy, ACOG has never wavered from its foundational mission of advancing the quality and consistency of care for women through guidance, education, and professional collaboration. In the early years of its existence, ACOG set out to create evidence- based standards and develop opportunities for clinicians to continue their education. Growing scientific progress and an expanding focus on women's health opened doors for the organization to serve as a leading voice as the Nation experienced historic advances, like the FDA's approval of the birth control pill and the Griswold v. Connecticut decision that established the right to privacy and, therefore, the right to use contraception, which had been illegal in Connecticut and many other States prior to this decision in 1965. As these events established the policy landscape for women's health, ACOG continued its work standardizing prenatal and cancer screenings, introducing its own academic journal, and establishing the requirements to achieve high honors in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. The landmark Roe v. Wade decision, as well as the establishment of the Title X program, which was the first Federal grant program in the United States dedicated to providing family planning and other preventive health services to low-income families, both elevated women's health further and supported ACOG's efforts to expand access to reproductive healthcare to all Americans, regardless of their ability to pay. They also amplified the importance of understanding the causes of maternal mortality and working to decrease it. During this time, ACOG was at the forefront of building reliable, trusted programs that helped standardize evidence-based medicine, integrate cultural competency, and strengthen policy partnerships. ACOG's role in women's health was also extended to helping protect the patient-physician relationship. From the critical influence of the Doe v. Bolton decision, which was the companion case to Roe v. Wade in which the Supreme Court struck down burdensome procedural requirements that effectively made abortion completely inaccessible in Georgia, even if the patient's life or health were threatened, to the mobilization needed in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned Roe. ACOG serves as a trusted source for evidence-based guidance for care across the lifespan for patients and providers alike. Both turn to ACOG for information about critical topics, ranging from contraception, cancer screening, STI screening and treatment, obstetric care, best surgical practices and advances, nutrition, abortion care, vaccines, menopause care, and everything in between. In its continued pursuit of advancing women's healthcare, ACOG has championed work to understand and address the systemic issues vulnerable women and populations face. Through pioneering initiatives like the Committee on Healthcare for Underserved Women and the recognition that health is deeply impacted by factors beyond biology and clinical care, ACOG was an early leader in establishing opportunities for communities' lived experiences to be heard and incorporated into our understanding of disparities and how to address them. As ACOG expanded its focus on reviewing and understanding the impact of systemic inequities and disproportionate burdens of maternal mortality in minority communities, ACOG continued its work of building robust and responsive clinical guidance and programming that centers respectful care and quality improvements. During times of transformational advancements like the development and approval of the HPV vaccine, the Affordable Care Act, and historic investments in maternal death prevention efforts, ACOG has led and helped expand key collaborations and partnerships. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Pettersen). Ms. PETTERSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Women's Health Week and the catastrophic impact Trump and Republicans have had on women's health in this country. This week, the Trump administration launched moms.gov, another performative political stunt pretending to support moms, but the health and well-being of women and families has never been under greater threat than under this administration. Our access to healthcare is being decimated with cuts to Medicaid and [[Page H3449]] the ACA, while women are also dealing with the ongoing consequences of the Dobbs decision across this country and, somehow, it might even get worse. Republicans are working on a backend national abortion ban by trying to eliminate access to mifepristone, an abortion pill that is utilized for 63 percent of abortions in the United States. This move will disproportionately impact women in poverty and women in rural communities who face significant barriers to being able to see a doctor. Despite their lies, we know that mifepristone is a safe, effective medication, but access to this lifesaving drug now hangs in the balance before the Supreme Court. Any restrictions of this medication for miscarriages and abortions will be another devastating attack on our ability to make our own decisions about our health, our bodies, and our futures. Let's be clear that this has nothing to do with science. It is about controlling women and taking away our access to reproductive healthcare and our ability to make our own decisions. During Women's Health Week, let's remember that Donal

Referenced legislation: HR2913, HR2913