SHAHEEN MEETS WITH WOMEN’S ADVOCATES AT CAPITOL HILL ROUNDTABLE

(Washington, DC) – This morning U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) met with women’s advocacy groups leadership – including Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America and the National Women’s Law Center – on Capitol Hill for a roundtable discussion on issues facing women and families, including last week’s Supreme Court Hobby Lobby ruling.

At the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, Shaheen spoke of the importance of protecting women’s health care options from employer interference and shared information of the Protect Women’s Health from Corporate Interference Act of 2014 that was introduced today.  The legislation, of which Shaheen is an original co-sponsor and was crafted in response to the Hobby Lobby decision, would specifically make sure that no employer who provides group health insurance coverage to its employees can deny specific health benefits, including contraception coverage, to employees or their dependents.

“Women, not their employers, should be in charge of their own health care choices,” Shaheen said. “This morning’s round table was a great opportunity to discuss the important work we have in front of us to protect women’s access to health care and contraception that were put at risk by last week’s Supreme Court’s decision.”

“I will continue to work to make sure employers aren’t selectively denying health care to their employees and women have the access to the coverage, benefits and contraception coverage they have been guaranteed under federal law,” Shaheen added.

Participants of this morning’s roundtable included:

• Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood
• Ilyse Hogue, President, NARAL Pro-Choice America
• Debra L. Ness, President, National Partnership for Women and Families
• Amanda Andere, President and Chief Executive Officer, Wider Opportunities for Women
• Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President, National Womens Law Center
• Page S. Gardner, Founder and President, The Voter Participation Center
• Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United
• Linda Hallman, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, American Association of University Women
• Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
• Dara Richardson-Heron, Chief Executive Officer, YWCA
• Shaunna Thomas, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, UltraViolet
• Amanda Pouchot, Co-Founder, LEVO League
• Melanie L. Campbell, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
• Christine L. Owens, Executive Director, National Employment Law Project