Lizzie Fletcher Forces Vote to Secure the Right to Contraception Protections

The House of Representatives will reconvene this week for a sprint to advance pending legislation before the next recess. Among the bills awaiting action is one that would legally guarantee the right to contraception.

The Right to Contraception Act would establish federal protections for access to contraceptive services and products. The bill has not received a vote in the House because Speaker and Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA) opposes it, but earlier this month, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) moved to force action on the measure.

Rep. Fletcher filed a discharge petition, a tool that allows a majority of members to force a bill to the floor for a vote by the full chamber, even if the Speaker of the House opposes it. The petition needs 218 signatures, and as of last week, it has over 126.

“The Right to Contraception Act reflects the position of the vast majority of Americans who rely on contraception of all kinds to plan their families and their lives,” Rep. Fletcher said. “Contraception is essential healthcare.”

A Constitutional Right Under Debate

Although Republicans and the Trump administration have historically opposed the federal funding of contraceptives, the landmark 1965 Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut established a constitutional right to privacy that protected married couples’ access to contraception. The decision became the foundation for later cases protecting personal autonomy and reproductive choices.

However, Rep. Fletcher said these rights are threatened by efforts to restrict access to contraception and family planning services, including the Trump administration's freeze on federal family planning funding a few months ago.

“If Republicans are serious about reflecting the will of the people and protecting contraception, they will join us in signing this discharge petition,” Rep. Fletcher said.

Dr. Dara Kass, an emergency medicine physician and board member of Americans for Contraception, said this rollback of funding, along with the lack of federal protections, has made it increasingly more difficult for women to access contraceptive care.

“For 61 years, Americans have relied on the constitutional right to contraception recognized in Griswold v. Connecticut and the broader right to privacy that decision helped establish,” Dr. Kass said. “Those protections can no longer be taken for granted.”

Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, said she fears the Trump administration will continue to “chip away” at women’s reproductive rights until it has “total control over our bodies, our lives and our futures.”

“To protect our bodily autonomy and freedom, Congress must act quickly to stand with the vast majority of Americans who believe contraception is vital health care, not with the extremists who seek to take it away,” Goss Graves said.

Beyond the Bill: Where Does Bipartisan Support End?

While the House remains divided along party lines over the bill, some Republicans have recently backed over-the-counter contraceptive options.

“I’ve heard from many Iowa women who have to drive long distances to see their doctor, making it difficult to get the care and prescriptions they need,” Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) said in April when she introduced her bill to expand access to over-the-counter birth control.

But Rep. Hinson and other Republican members remain opposed to the Right to Contraception Act, arguing it is too broad and could raise concerns about its impact on religious freedoms and state authority.

Dr. Jamila Perritt, president and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health, said the bill’s broad scope is precisely why she supports it.

“The Right to Contraception Act aims to protect the basic rights of patients looking to access the contraceptive method that is best for them,” Dr. Perritt said. “Where you live, your income or your insurance coverage should never dictate whether or not someone can access the care they need, including contraceptive care.”