The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S4493-S4494 on June 27, 2018.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE
Ms. SMITH. Mr. President, I am proud to join my colleagues today in recognizing the anniversary of a landmark Supreme Court decision, Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt.
Before I talk about that decision, I want to talk today about Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement. This is a pivotal moment in our country. With Justice Kennedy's retirement announcement today, the stakes have never been higher for making sure we choose a Supreme Court Justice committed to the Constitution and to protecting the most fundamental rights of Americans--the right to vote, the ability to organize, and a woman's right to choose.
Whomever replaces Justice Kennedy will, no doubt, have a say on issues that affect the lives of every American--issues such as the healthcare system, our elections, and the health of our environment.
In February of 2016, some 9 months before the 2016 election, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a statement saying: ``The American people should have a voice in the selection of our next Supreme Court Justice.'' He kept his word. He didn't hold a hearing or a vote on President Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, during that election year.
I believe Republicans should be held to the same standard they set themselves. The Senate has a constitutional duty to provide advice and consent. We are a little more than 4 months away from an election that will decide the balance of the Senate. So let us let the American people decide who provides that advice and consent, especially given the close balance of the Senate as it stands today.
Back to the Whole Woman's Health decision, 2 years ago today, the Court reaffirmed that women have a constitutional right to make their own decisions about their reproductive health and family planning. The Court found that this fundamental right could not be unduly burdened with regulatory restrictions and requirements by the State or Federal Government. This was just one in a long line of Supreme Court decisions that affirm a woman's right to make personal, private decisions about her healthcare and family planning.
Whole Woman's Health recognized that in order to protect women's constitutional rights, it is not enough that abortion services are theoretically available. They must also be practically accessible.
It is especially important to recognize the anniversary of this important decision today because just yesterday the Supreme Court issued another decision, one that, unfortunately, threatens to make it harder for women to receive reliable and accurate information about the full range of their reproductive healthcare options.
As a U.S. Senator but also as a woman who served as a volunteer for Planned Parenthood and then as an executive for Planned Parenthood in North Dakota and South Dakota, I know that the right to access safe and reliable reproductive healthcare has a profound impact on women's lives.
Women cannot have economic security if they do not have the freedom to decide when and how to raise a family. This deeply personal decision influences women's choices about whether to go to school, buy a home, or start a new business. I trust women to make these decisions for themselves and their families without the government looking over their shoulders.
Whole Woman's Health struck down some of the most egregious burdens on women's rights to access reproductive healthcare. But the fight to protect women's rights to accessible, safe, and reliable reproductive health is far from over. Despite this ruling, some States have continued their attempts to undermine women's constitutional rights.
In fact, in the 2 years since Whole Woman's Health was decided, States have proposed over 1,000 new restrictions on abortion, and 180 of those have become law. Many of these restrictions are aimed at shutting down clinics or criminalizing providers. Make no mistake. This is not about protecting women's health. This is about influencing women's choices, and it is wrong.
I believe strongly that the government has no business interfering in a woman's medical decisions. These decisions should be made by a woman, her family, and her healthcare provider. I trust women to make these decisions that are best for themselves and their own situations. This is why I am proud to cosponsor the Women's Health Protection Act, which would protect women's access to safe and legal healthcare services, regardless of where they live.
The bill would prohibit States from imposing restrictions on abortion services that do not promote women's health or safety. For example, laws that target providers with unnecessary and burdensome building codes or those that force women to undergo medically unnecessary testing and procedures would be prohibited.
This bill would codify the standards set in Whole Woman's Health and authorize the Department of Justice to protect women's constitutional rights by going after these unconstitutional laws.
I stand with women, and I invite my colleagues to do the same by cosponsoring the Women's Health Protection Act.
Thank you, Mr. President.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
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