Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster, (NH-02) a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, visited Equality Health Center and met with the Center’s board and staff members to discuss the state of abortion access in New Hampshire, her efforts to protect access to abortion and contraception, and funding for cancer screenings and other essential health services.

“Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court took personal medical decisions out of the hands of women, their doctors, and their families — even in the most extreme and sensitive cases like rape, incest, or the life of the mother,” said Rep. Kuster. “Providers like Equality Health Center that continue to provide critical health care to Granite State women and girls – including abortion services – are absolutely crucial to the health and well-being of our communities. I thank Equality Health Center’s board members and staff for taking the time to discuss the state of access to abortion and contraception in New Hampshire with me today.”

“In my 25 years as an adoption attorney, I worked with hundreds of birth mothers making the most personal and private decisions of their lives – not one turned to the government to make that choice for them,” Kuster continued. “In Congress and through my work on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I have worked to pass legislation to establish the right to abortion and contraception and implement crucial federal protections. I will continue working tirelessly to defend abortion rights and the rights of women to bodily autonomy.”

"We are grateful for Congresswoman Kuster’s commitment to sexual and reproductive health care,” said Jinelle M. Hobson, Executive Director at Equality Health Center. “She understands the importance of the right to privacy and the many nuances that go into decision making about one’s own health and well-being."

In Congress, Rep. Kuster has been a fierce advocate for women’s reproductive rights. Late last year, she helped to introduce and worked to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act in the House to establish the constitutional right to abortion and create other federal protections. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Kuster co-sponsored and worked to pass the Right to Contraception Act and the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act in the House. These bills take proactive steps to protect access to contraception across the country and protect Americans from extremist Republican politicians and anti-abortion activists.

Kuster penned an op-ed for the Union Leader on the devastating consequences of leaving states to control abortion access. During an Energy and Commerce hearing in July, Kuster heard from and questioned reproductive health experts about the consequences of the Supreme Court overturning the near 50-year precedent of Roe v. Wade and new state laws restricting abortion access that punish patients who seek as well as doctors who provide abortion care. 

###