Press Statement
Trump’s Religious Refusal Order Will ‘Jeopardize Women’s Health, Equity and Economic Security,’ Ness Says

“President Trump’s executive order, issued today, is a callous attack on the fundamental American value that religion should not be used to discriminate against others. This action will jeopardize women’s health, equity and economic security by instructing the Department of Health and Human Services to effectively roll back a critical provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires coverage of women’s preventive health benefits. These essential benefits range from contraception to screening and counseling for domestic violence, and from well-woman visits to breastfeeding support. Fifty-five million women have benefited from the ACA’s preventive services coverage; this order threatens to take that coverage away based on others’ religious beliefs.

Taken together, Trump’s order today and House Republicans’ support for the disastrous American Health Care Act constitute a devastating attack on women’s health, civil rights and equal justice. But these callous, politically motivated attacks are also a call to action that those of us dedicated to ensuring equality for all will defiantly answer. We will continue to stand strong and resist every effort to roll back the clock on the progress that women, people of color, immigrants, the LGBTQ community and many others have fought so hard to achieve. And we won’t back down.”

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About the National Partnership for Women & Families

The National Partnership for Women & Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, reproductive health and rights, access to quality, affordable health care and policies that help all people meet the dual demands of work and family.

More information is available at NationalPartnership.org.

For general inquiries, please email press@nationalpartnership.org.