Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice America Applauds the Introduction of the Global Health, Empowerment and Rights (HER) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Contact: [email protected]
Washington, DC — Today, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives led by Rep. Barbara Lee, along with Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Ami Bera introduced the Global Health, Empowerment and Rights (HER) Act. If signed into law, this measure would permanently end the global gag rule, an anti-choice federal policy that denies certain kinds of foreign aid to overseas health centers unless they agree not to use their own non-U.S. funds for abortion services, counseling, or even to take a public position in support of reproductive freedom. Though the Biden administration rescinded the global gag rule during their first weeks in office, Congress must pass legislation such as the HER Act to ensure that future presidents cannot undo critical progress for reproductive freedom around the world by reinstating this dangerous anti-choice policy.
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju released the following statement in response:
“The global gag rule has only one objective: harming people around the world who are simply trying to access the sexual and reproductive health care they need. We cannot risk another anti-choice president exporting extremist ideologies overseas by reinstating this dangerous policy. We urge Congress to swiftly pass the Global HER Act and take this first step in ensuring that everybody across the globe has access to medically accurate information and the evidence-based care they need.”
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For over 50 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for every body. NARAL is powered by its 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.