Bernie Sanders On Women's Rights / Abortion

thirty forty years ago you had one or two members of the United States Senate will the day you

break down sexist barriers in this country nobody would deny but we have come a long way I remember when

I was mayor I point to the first woman police officer back in the nineteen eighties what a big deal that we walk

around Capitol hopefully it's not such a big overcome huge barriers in terms of in Vermont and all across this country there

is growing frustration that members of Congress mostly men I should add are trying to roll back the clock on

women's reproductive rights in this case the right of women to receive contraceptive services through

the fight to protect is very basic right and let me add my strong belief that if the United States Senate at

eighty three women and seventeen men rather than eighty three men and seventeen women my

strong gas is that a bill like this would never even make to the floor two years ago Congress

American who are uninsured as well as millions of Americans well covered through their employer this

bill is by no means perfect I would go further but it is a step forward in allowing us to catch up with the rest of the industrialized world that

guarantee healthcare to all of their people as a right unfortunately the amendment we are discussing today so

little blood some men what undermine much of the progress being made for women's health care through

a new version of a so called conscience exempt not just content to attack women's

rights Mr blood cement would go even further and seeks to deny patient access to

any to any essential healthcare service their employer or insurance company objects

to based simply on the employers quote religious beliefs and moral convictions and

of course this amendment would especially have an adverse impact on women's health starting in August women

in rolled in new plans will have access to a range of preventative services at

no cost but allowing the client of extreme so called conscience clause included

well woman visits or even treatments for both genders based not on a doctor's recommendation

but on the religious belief or moral conviction of a person's employer