Budget bill “conscience clause” a political play that will hurt Latina health

Jessica González-Rojas, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, issued the followed statement in response to ongoing attempts to use budget negotiations to restrict access to women’s healthcare:
“Millions of Latinas will benefit from health care reform’s expansion of coverage and preventive care, including contraception, cancer screenings and breast feeding support. I am deeply disappointed House legislators have used the budget negotiations — which are already at risk of leaving thousands of hard-working government employees without pay — to continue their misguided and wildly unpopular war on women’s health care. Quite simply, this political maneuvering is bad for Latina health.
“This is the latest in a string of policies that anti-choice politicians have attempted to push through without public support. We urge Congress to stop attempting to restrict women’s health and turn their attention to arriving at a fair budget deal.”
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The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is the only national organization working on behalf of the reproductive health and justice of the 24 million Latinas, their families and communities in the United States through public education, community mobilization and policy advocacy.