WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth, Mazie Hirono, and Patty Murray, along with a record number of 28 original co-sponsors, reintroduced the bicameral EACH Act, a bill to end the Hyde Amendment and guarantee insurance coverage of abortion.
This comes as attacks on abortion care continue to escalate. Right now, 24 states have enacted bans or restrictions on abortion access or are poised to, and even where abortion is legal, barriers remain. The EACH Act is a critical piece of legislation to ensure abortion care is affordable for anyone who needs it and stops politicians from interfering with people’s freedom to make decisions about abortion.
The EACH Act also reflects the majority of Americans who support Medicaid coverage of abortion and oppose the Hyde Amendment, a federal policy that for decades has denied coverage for those enrolled in Medicaid. This policy falls hardest on people working to make ends meet, especially people of color.
“The attacks on our freedom haven’t slowed down, but neither have we. Women of color continue to organize in our communities and in the halls of Congress so that no one is denied abortion coverage,” said Morgan Hopkins, President of All* Above All. “The majority of people agree—it is time to end the Hyde Amendment and ensure people can get affordable abortion care without politicians interfering. We applaud Senators Duckworth, Murray, and Hirono for introducing the EACH Act today and putting us on a pathway toward abortion justice.”
Studies show that when politicians place restrictions on Medicaid coverage for abortion, they force one in four poor women to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. Research also shows that denying abortion coverage forces low-income women deeper into poverty.
“Every woman in every state has a right to access the reproductive healthcare she needs—and government has no place getting in the way of that right,” said Senator Tammy Duckworth. “With Roe v. Wade thrown out by the Supreme Court, Congress must take immediate action to help strengthen access to abortion coverage for low-income Americans, servicemembers and millions more—no matter their income, race or zip code. Today, I’m proud to be joined by my colleagues in re-introducing the EACH Act so we can do just that.”
“Everyone deserves the fundamental right to access the health care they need, regardless of their income or type of health insurance. For too long, the antiquated Hyde Amendment has prevented people across our country from accessing abortion care, disproportionately impacting people with low incomes, people of color, and immigrants,” said Senator Mazie Hirono. “As we work to protect and strengthen access to reproductive care, it’s past time we end the Hyde Amendment. I am glad to join Senators Duckworth and Murray in reintroducing the EACH Act to help end unjust restrictions on abortion access and help ensure people can access the care they need.”
“Federal coverage restrictions have long put abortion care out of reach for patients with the tightest budgets. In the wake of a catastrophic Dobbs decision that ushered in extreme Republican abortion bans stripping tens of millions of women of their reproductive rights, we need to keep working to ensure that no one’s ability to get the abortion care they need depends on the zip code they live in or the money sitting in their bank account,” said Senator Patty Murray. “That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the EACH Act to do away with harmful abortion coverage restrictions that disproportionately prevent women of color, women with low-incomes, and immigrant women from being able to get the abortion care they need.”
“The Hyde Amendment and other bans on abortion coverage are harmful precisely because they target the very people most impacted by abortion bans and restrictions: Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, and those struggling to make ends meet. At least 15 states have banned or made abortion mostly unavailable in the last eight months, and more states are racing to enact increasingly cruel laws,” said Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center and All* Above All Steering Committee member. “As we work to create a new right to abortion and ensure abortion access, we must eliminate restrictions like the Hyde Amendment so that everyone, no matter where they live or how much they earn, can control their own futures. The EACH Act brings us closer to a world we deserve, a world where we can make decisions about our bodies and lives with dignity and respect.”
“No one should go broke trying to take care of themselves or their family. By guaranteeing coverage for abortion care without restrictions based on how much money we earn, how we are insured, or where we live, the EACH Act is a critical step toward abortion justice and a future where every person can make the reproductive decisions that are right for them, with dignity,” said J. Parker Dockray, Executive Director of All-Options and All* Above All Steering Committee member.
“The EACH Act is a critical step towards ensuring that more people can access the abortion care they need. For decades, the Hyde Amendment unjustly prevented people enrolled in Medicaid from using their health insurance to cover abortion, which makes it harder for people to afford this care and disproportionately affects Latinas/xs and other people of color. Abortion coverage bans interfere with our decisions and have harmful impacts on the health, economic security, and well-being of our communities,” said Lupe Rodríguez, Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. “We urge Congress to pass the EACH Act and guarantee coverage for abortion care without restrictions based on how much money someone earns, how they are insured, or what state they call home.”
“The National LGBTQ Task Force has been and will continue to advocate for reproductive justice for all, and help the public understand that LGBTQ+ communities are deeply impacted by the attacks on access to healthcare. The EACH Act will address many of our concerns, particularly in respect to our ability to make decisions around reproductive health and break down the governmental barriers to abortion care that are exacerbated by systemic racism, economic insecurity and immigration status,” said Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of the National LGTBQ+ Task Force Action Fund and All* Above All Steering Committee member. “Each of us should be able to live, work, and make decisions about our health and our future with dignity and respect. However, because of these barriers and the added impact of transphobia and homophobia, LGBTQ+ people have long experienced health disparities in care and health outcomes. Passing the EACH Act would be a critical step toward breaking down these inequities in reproductive care and abortion access.”
The EACH Act is a core tenet of the Action Plan for Abortion Justice to ensure abortion care is affordable for all. It was introduced with 28 Senate co-sponsors and 85 endorsing organizations. There are 172 co-sponsors of the bill in the House.
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All* Above All unites individuals across the country and over 150 organizations to build a future where abortion is affordable, available, and supported for anyone who seeks care. As a catalyst for abortion justice, we accelerate strategy, shift narrative, move policy, and build networks to ensure that care is there when we need it. Learn more at allaboveall.org and follow our social media at @allaboveall.