Catholics for Choice Statement on Upcoming Vote on the Right to Contraception Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Contact: Ashley Wilson, Strategic Communications Advisor
Phone: (202) 294-4081
Email: awilson@catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics for Choice Statement on Upcoming Vote on the Right to Contraception Act
WASHINGTON — Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, released the following statement from President Jamie L. Manson, M.Div., in advance of the Senate’s vote on the Right to Contraception Act:
“Despite the Catholic hierarchy’s ban on artificial contraception, 98% of Catholics have used some form of birth control in their lives. It’s because we know ultimately, our individual conscience is the final arbiter of what is right or wrong, not the bishops.
“Until recently, the right to contraception felt established and protected by the Supreme Court. But after Roe v. Wade was overturned, that right became less certain. We need the Right to Contraception Act because it will materially improve the lived experiences of all people who need contraception — whether to prevent pregnancy or to treat a host of other medical conditions. We must ensure that this right can’t be stripped away by a majority conservative Catholic Supreme Court. Many of the justices who struck down Roe were hand-selected by Leonard Leo, a wealthy, right-wing Catholic who is opposed to the use of artificial contraceptives.
“Catholics for Choice specifically supports the Right to Contraception Act because we see this legislation as an important step in righting the wrongs of our nation’s deep legacy of reproductive coercion, as stated in the Act’s original findings. This includes childbearing forced upon enslaved women, the testing of contraception pills on women and girls in Puerto Rico, and the forced sterilization of Black, Puerto Rican, Indigenous, immigrant, and disabled women. The United States has for years prevented marginalized communities from controlling their own reproductive destinies. I urge Congress to conduct the important work of dismantling this legacy by ensuring all people can make decisions about their health, families, and lives.”
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Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.
