HARRISBURG?Attorney General Shapiro today announced that his Office will present oral arguments telephonically to the United States Supreme Court on May 6, 2020, to continue to protect women’s right to access birth control under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
“Contraception is medicine. My office has protected women’s legally guaranteed access to birth control and other contraceptives for over two years under attacks from the Trump Administration,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “It is ludicrous to think that if the President gets his way, it would be legal in this country to allow virtually any employer to deny women access to contraception for any reason, including extreme beliefs such as not wanting women to be in the workforce.”
Women have long been denied full and equal access to health care due to higher costs and discriminatory coverage. The Women’s Health Amendment to the Affordable Care Act helped remedy this inequity by guaranteeing women access to necessary preventive health care, including contraception. In 2017, the Trump Administration issued regulations that would allow virtually any employer to deny contraceptive coverage to their female employees based on the employer’s personal beliefs. The regulations were issued without notifying the public or seeking its input, as required by law. Attorney General Shapiro is arguing that the Trump Administration broke the law by issuing regulations depriving women of the basic health care guaranteed by Congress.
Attorney General Shapiro’s arguments are going to be presented to the U.S. Supreme Court by teleconference due to COVID-19 health and safety restrictions, a first in American history. Oral arguments will be available live to the public to hear in real time, instead of through the Supreme Court’s standing protocol of releasing audio recordings and transcripts after the arguments have ended.
Oral argument will be held at 10 a.m ET. The audio of the arguments will be accessible live via C-SPAN TV networks, online via C-SPAN.org, and on the free C-SPAN Radio app.