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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in introducing the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act. The bill would protect access to critical reproductive health care services—like birth control, cancer screenings and more—by providing a consistent and strong source of funding for the Title X Family Planning Program. “Women should have control over their reproductive future,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “The Title X Family Planning Program is critical for women, giving them the resources they need to plan a family, access pregnancy counseling and infertility support, and receive life-saving screenings for breast and cervical cancer. A dedicated, consistent stream of Title X funding will go a long way to support women and their families.” “At a time when women across this country are facing harsh restrictions on their reproductive freedoms, we must ensure they have access to the health care services and resources they need,” said Senator Rosen. “This commonsense legislation is critical to ensuring access to family planning, counseling, cancer screenings and other vital health care services. If Republicans are serious about supporting families, then they will support this critical legislation.” The Title X Family Planning Program is the only federal program dedicated to providing comprehensive family planning and preventive health services. Hundreds of thousands of Americans rely on the program for essential health care. In 2020 alone, over 1.5 million patients received family planning services through Title X. Title X is funded through the annual appropriations process, which subjects the program to an unpredictable funding stream that is insufficient to meet the national need. The Senators’ Expanding Access to Family Planning Act would provide a consistent and strong source of funding for Title X. Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have long advocated for women’s reproductive rights. The Senators have pushed back against the previous administration’s efforts to hamstring the program and supported the current administration’s work to strengthen it. Last week, Senator Cortez Masto introduced the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act, cosponsored by Senator Jacky Rosen, to ensure that women from anti-choice states are not barred from travel to receive reproductive care. Both senators voted in favor of the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), which would have codified Roe v. Wade into federal law. They are also cosponsors of legislation to ensure that women across the country can access and afford over-the-counter birth control options and plan their reproductive lives on their own terms. ### |