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 HEALTH” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S1786 on March 19, 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 HEALTH
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I wish to speak on the important topic of women's health, which has been under attack by the Trump administration.
Through its policies and the actions of its officials, the Trump administration has undermined women's health at every opportunity.
In the first year of the Trump administration, we have seen attempts to block access to Planned Parenthood, restrict women's access to birth control, legislation to ban certain medical procedures, the creation of new government offices to undermine women's healthcare, and judges nominated who openly oppose women's privacy rights.
Scott Lloyd, the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, ORR, is the perfect illustration of this deeply disturbing trend.
Federal court documents and extensive media reports show that Mr. Lloyd has used his official office to prevent unaccompanied minors at ORR shelters from accessing legally available reproductive healthcare.
In one case, a 17-year-old young woman, referred to as Jane Doe, was transferred to an ORR shelter after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. While in government custody, Jane Doe discovered she was pregnant and sought access to an abortion. She satisfied all requirements under Texas law and secured her own funds to pay for the procedure. In spite of this, ORR officials repeatedly blocked her from accessing care. Jane Doe went to court and was granted approval to obtain the procedure. Nevertheless, the Trump administration's Department of Justice cruelly appealed the decision, alleging that the government has an interest in blocking her personal decision.
Since Jane Doe's case, it has been uncovered that Trump administration officials have directly intervened in other similar cases. There are reports that Mr. Lloyd has denied young women access to their lawyers. Additionally, he has implemented policies that violate young women's medical privacy rights. It is also concerning that, as someone with no medical expertise or training, Mr. Lloyd has personally pressured young women about their medical options. In court documents, Mr. Lloyd acknowledged that he has never approved a request for the procedure and even admitted that he has denied such requests in the cases of rape victims. This is shocking, particularly considering that many of the young women who come into ORR custody have fled sexual and gender-based violence in their home countries.
On top of that, some of these young women go through harrowing experiences along their journey to the United States, during which they are at risk of being trafficked, kidnapped, and raped. Blocking them from making their own determinations about their health and bodies only adds to the trauma they have already experienced.
In light of Mr. Lloyd's shocking actions, I have called on him to resign.
I find it appalling that the Trump administration believes women--
undocumented or otherwise--do not have the right to control their own bodies and make their own healthcare decisions. Young women do not lose their right to make their own healthcare decisions just because they are in government custody.
ORR is responsible for protecting the well-being of the most vulnerable people: those who have been tortured, children who arrive in the country alone and without a parent, and individuals fleeing persecution.
It is imperative that the leader of this office uphold this mission, rather than advancing his own personal, political agenda. We have an obligation to treat young women in government custody with the dignity and respect they deserve.
The Trump administration needs to stop attacking women and start recognizing their right to control their own bodies, medical decisions, and destiny.
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