Reproductive Equity Now Deputy Director Delivers Opening Testimony at Congressional Spotlight Hearing on Birth Control Access

WATCH HERE: “We must use every available tool to protect and expand access … before it’s too late,” says St. Germain

Washington, DC (July 16, 2025) – Today, Reproductive Equity Now’s Deputy Director, Taylor St. Germain, testified before the United States Congress at a spotlight bicameral hearing on attacks on birth control access, titled “A Right at Risk: Protecting the Right to Contraception and Reproductive Freedom in the Post-Roe Era.” You can find written testimony submitted by Reproductive Equity Now HERE. You can watch Taylor deliver her oral testimony HERE or read, as prepared for delivery, below. 

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Oral Testimony

**as prepared for delivery**

June 16, 2025

A Right at Risk: Protecting the Right to Contraception and Reproductive Freedom in the Post-Roe Era

Taylor St. Germain, Deputy Director

U.S. Congressional Bicameral Spotlight Hearing

Good afternoon. I would like to start by thanking Senator Markey and Representative Fletcher for convening today's critical and timely spotlight hearing, and to the members here with us for strategizing on how we protect our care.  I am honored to be here alongside my fellow witnesses and our partners in this fight. Lastly, I want to extend special gratitude to the National Women’s Law Center for authoring the eye-opening report that inspired today’s hearing.

My name is Taylor St. Germain, and I am the Deputy Director of Reproductive Equity Now, a New England-based organization working across Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire to make equitable access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care a reality for all people. 

Much of our work centers on defending abortion access, which we know remains relentlessly under attack. But as you’ve heard from other witnesses today, Trump and anti-abortion extremists aren’t satisfied with only stripping away access to abortion care—they’re coming for contraception, too.

Access to contraception is a fundamental part of reproductive health care and a critical tool for ensuring that people can decide if, when, and how to start or grow their families. 

We’ve already heard from my fellow panelists about the attacks in banned or restricted states, but I want to share a bit about our experience working in New England — a region of primarily protected states, where we are grateful that the overwhelming majority of our state leaders strongly support access to contraception and reproductive health care.

But, even here, we still feel the impact of these national attacks. And, more than that, we feel the responsibility to push back and meet these threats head-on with state-level policies that keep care available, affordable, and protected for everyone who needs it.

When Trump first threatened to gut the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate in 2017, Massachusetts stepped up, passing the Contraceptive ACCESS Law, which required state-regulated health plans to cover contraception at no cost to the consumer, as well as guaranteed patients could get up to a year’s supply of birth control at once. This has been a lifeline for students, low-income and rural communities, or anyone who needs reliable, affordable, and uninterrupted care. 

Massachusetts didn’t stop there. In 2022, the Department of Public Health issued a statewide standing order for emergency contraception, clarifying that people may use their insurance to cover medications like Plan B or ella at the pharmacy counter — no prescription required. Early results show this made a real difference: emergency contraception fills increased by over 30% in the first year alone.

And since the Dobbs decision, clinics across our region have seen a significant increase in patient volume, placing growing pressure on already stretched systems. States like Massachusetts and Connecticut have responded by authorizing pharmacists to prescribe and dispense birth control directly to patients — no doctor’s visit required. This simple change removes major barriers to care, especially for people who can’t take time off work, face delays in getting an appointment, or struggle to find a provider at all.

We also know that protecting young people’s confidentiality is critical. If teens fear their privacy won’t be respected, they may skip care altogether — putting their health, education, and futures at risk. This past legislative session, we saw anti-repro policymakers in New Hampshire attempt to end confidential reproductive health care for minors. But we know that contraceptive care is popular, and when faced with major community outcry, lawmakers were forced to drop this provision. Conversely, in Connecticut, where this right wasn’t yet written into law, legislators acted proactively this year to make sure teens can access birth control and pregnancy-related care without being forced to disclose to a parent or guardian.

And yet, even with these safeguards and protections, due to the attacks coming out of this Administration,  there will be people in New England who will be unable to access birth control, providers whose hands will be tied, and funding gaps too deep and wide for states to fill.

We have to be realistic — state leadership alone can’t undo the damage the Trump administration is causing. 

With its cuts to Medicaid, provisions to defund Planned Parenthood, and attacks on abortion providers, this latest reconciliation bill is a backdoor ban on reproductive health care. It undercuts state protections and overrides states’ ability to safeguard our rights. The result? Patients and providers are stuck between a confusing patchwork of laws — caught between states trying to protect care and federal policies trying to block it. States with strong leadership will keep stepping up with bold ideas and practical solutions, but we can’t do it alone.

When it came to Roe, we waited too long to take decisive federal action to protect abortion care, and that delay cost us dearly. We cannot make the same mistake with contraception. I am here today to tell you it is absolutely critical that Congress take action NOW to pass the Right to Contraception Act. We must use every available tool to protect and expand access to this essential, life-saving care before it’s too late again. 

With that, I would like to thank you all again for hosting this spotlight hearing and look forward to continuing the conversation.

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