House Democrats are calling on President-elect Donald Trump to reconsider his opinions on women’s healthcare.
“We urge you to give more thought to how defunding Planned Parenthood and repealing the [Affordable Care Act] would harm women in every district in every state,” a majority of House Democrats said in a letter set to be delivered to Trump on Thursday. “Taking those steps would leave all women worse off.”
“As president, you have the power to prevent this looming disaster,” they continue in the letter, which is signed by 173 of 194 House Democrats. “You, more than anyone else, will have to answer to those whose benefits, coverage, and access to care is abruptly ripped away.”
{mosads}“The women of America are watching, Mr. President-elect. As are the men who care about them. The true test of whether your policy agenda will harm or help women begins tomorrow.”
Democrats say people are “fearful” about how Trump’s presidency will affect women and girls.
“You have promised to nominate Supreme Court Justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade,” it adds. “You have also nominated officials with unabashedly anti-woman records to serve in Cabinet posts with power to affect women’s health and day-to-day lives.”
“Because of their fears about what lies ahead, women are already taking action to protect themselves against possible negative outcomes, such as by rushing to their doctors to obtain long-acting birth control before your inauguration.”
Trump has made repealing and eventually replacing ObamaCare an early priority of his incoming administration, and the president-elect has vowed to defund Planned Parenthood.
Democrats argue in Thursday’s letter that scrapping ObamaCare could hurt its healthcare features for women, citing its rules prohibiting discriminatory insurer practices and expanded access to birth control.