Cory 2020
For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2019


Newark, NJ  – The Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri abortion bans are part of a coordinated, all-out effort to erode reproductive rights and freedoms. Today, Cory Booker is unveiling a series of executive actions he will take as president to stop the attacks and roll back the Trump administration’s attacks on women.

In addition to pursuing legislative solutions, including legislation to codify Roe v. Wade’s protections into federal law, Cory will take immediate executive action to stop Republicans’ relentless and coordinated attacks on women -- especially women of color and women from low-income communities -- and their rights.

Cory’s proposal announced today starts with the creation of a White House Office of Reproductive Freedom to coordinate the Booker administration’s efforts to safeguard and strengthen reproductive health and rights in the United States and globally. 

Additionally, Cory will reverse Trump administration actions that forbid some providers from even mentioning abortion as a health care option to patients, restore federal funding for family planning and access to contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act, put forward the first presidential budget in 20 years that is Hyde Amendment-free, and appoint judges who will defend women’s reproductive freedom.

"Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country are mounting a coordinated attack on abortion access and reproductive rights,” said Cory Booker. “A coordinated attack requires a coordinated response. That’s why on day one of my presidency, I will immediately and decisively take executive action to respond to these relentless efforts to erode Americans’ rights to control their own bodies. I will also pursue a legislative response, including legislation to codify Roe v. Wade’s protections into federal law.

“My goal with these actions isn’t just to undo the damage the Trump administration and Republican state legislatures and governors have caused, but to affirmatively advance reproductive rights and expand access to reproductive care for all.” 

Details of Cory’s plan are below.


CORY WILL TAKE EXECUTIVE ACTION TO SAFEGUARD AND STRENGTHEN REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Create a White House Office of Reproductive Freedom. For more than two years under the Trump Administration, we have seen the impact of a relentless and coordinated attack on women. On Day One, Cory would create a White House Office of Reproductive Freedom, charged with coordinating and affirmatively advancing abortion rights and access to reproductive health care across his Administration, including addressing all barriers to full reproductive freedom, including access to transportation, paid leave, maternal health care, and education.

End the “domestic gag rule” and expand and modernize the Title X Family Planning Program. The domestic gag rule prohibits women’s health care providers from even talking to low-income patients about how and where to access a safe, legal abortion. It represents a direct attack hit on Title X — the historically bipartisan federal program that provides affordable preventive care and family planning services including birth control — and Planned Parenthood. As president, Cory will work to strengthen Title X funding and ensure that all women, no matter their income, have access to a full range of health care options. 

Guarantee access to employer-covered contraceptive care. Contraception is health care and it can be prohibitively expensive for women across the country who rely on it not just to prevent pregnancy, but for a wide range of other medical issues. But the Trump Administration has made it easier to restrict access to contraception without copays, undermining a critical protection under the Affordable Care Act. Birth control should be covered and protected by the Affordable Care Act.

Repeal Hyde Amendment in first presidential budget. Abortion care is health care, but can be incredibly and prohibitively expensive for women seeking one. For decades, the Hyde Amendment has had a disproportionate impact on abortion access for women who already face barriers to accessing health care, including women of color and low-income women. By ending the Hyde Amendment, we can take politicians out of decisions between women and their doctors, and ensure that abortion care is accessible for all. Cory commits that the first budget he submits to Congress as president will not include Hyde.

Undo Trump’s refusal rules that allow people to be denied the health care they need. The Trump Administration has proposed new rules that will allow health providers and institutions to more easily refuse to provide health care services to patients seeking care. Access to health care should never be dictated by someone else’s personal beliefs. As president, Cory would ensure that every woman is able to receive the health care she needs and have the freedom to make the choices best for her and her family. 

Restore evidence-based guidelines for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. The Trump Administration has prioritized funding abstinence-only programs that ignore years of evidence of what actually works to prevent teen pregnancy. Our students deserve better — that means teaching young people about their full range of health care options, as well as about consent. 
 
End the global gag rule and restore funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).President Trump instated and expanded the “global gag rule” -- which forbids international organizations that receive federal funding from even mentioning the word abortion -- two days after the Women’s March. On Day One in office, Cory would rescind this dangerous policy and allow U.S. family planning funds to go to health centers performing essential reproductive health care. 

Cory would also reinstate the U.S. contribution to the UNFPA, which provides aid for family planning and child and maternal health across the globe. Trump cut off all funding soon after taking office, hurting women and families not just here in the United States, but across the globe. We must demonstrate better leadership to the rest of the world.