ENSURING WOMEN’S ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE
Health Insurance Reform
As part of the health insurance reform debate, Sen. Reid is working to ensure that all women had free access to crucial preventive services, like mammograms and other lifesaving care. This includes beneficiaries of Medicare, who still have to pay a portion out of pocket for these lifesaving procedures.
Family and Medical Leave Act
Senator Reid was a proud cosponsor of the “Family and Medical Leave Act” when it was signed into law. This historic legislation established the law requiring businesses with 50 or more employees to provide 12 weeks of unpaid leave for illness, to provide aid to a sick family member or to care for a newborn child.
Fighting to End Breast Cancer
Sen. Reid has always pushed for a greater focus on preventing and treating breast cancer. In 2008, Senator Reid passed the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act, which will help to establish a national strategy to study the potential links between the environment and breast cancer and would authorize funding for such research. The legislation included $40 million in funding for the work.
Susan G. Komen Advocacy Alliance’s Public Policy Director said, “We commend Congress for its bipartisan effort to examine the impact of environmental factors on breast cancer, while promoting collaboration among government agencies and between public entities and the private sector … As Komen for the Cure has highlighted the importance of collaboration with our own research funding, we are pleased to see that Congress is following suit.”
In 2008, Sen. Reid was honored by the National Breast Cancer Association for his work on this crucial legislation.
In June 2006, NBCC President Fran Visco said:
“The National Breast Cancer Coalition appreciates and recognizes Senator Reid's sustained leadership in advancing policies that will assist us in achieving our mission to end breast cancer.”
Ending Domestic Violence
Sen. Reid has made ending domestic violence against women a top priority, securing tens of millions of dollars in funding to combat this civil rights violation both nationally and here in Nevada.
During the early 1990s, Reid was an early advocate of funding to combat domestic violence – well before the entire Congress enacted the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, which made such funding permanent. In both 1991 and 1992, Reid secured $20 million to provide counseling and other preventative measures to victims of domestic violence. The 1994 Violence Against Women Act eventually earmarked $1.6 billion to fight domestic violence. Patricia Ireland, president of the National Organization for Women, praised the act for “recognizing, for the first time ever, that gender-based violence is a violation of women's civil rights.” Reid also sponsored bills during 1991 and 1992 to combat domestic violence and fund state anti-domestic violence coalitions.
Sen. Reid recently secured hundreds of thousands of dollars for domestic violence programs in Nevada. In September 2009, Sen. Reid announced $350,000 to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in Douglas County. Additionally, in December 2009, he secured $125,000 for the Rape Crisis Center in Las Vegas. The Center has partnered with the Clark County School District to educate children about ways to prevent and identify sexual assault.
Protecting Access to Contraceptives
Sen. Reid has always fought to ensure women have access to the reproductive planning tools that they need.
That’s why he introduced the Prevention First Act, legislation that increases access to contraception. This will reduce the number of unintended pregnancies by providing crucial funding to family-planning agencies.
Furthermore, Sen. Reid is a strong supporter of The Prevention Through Affordable Access Act, which ensures that all women have access to safe prescription contraception at prices they can afford.
