Iowa must protect contraceptive rights

As Iowans prepare to caucus, it's imperative to consider the broader implications of our choices, especially in the context of national leadership and its impact on issues like contraceptive rights and reproductive freedom. The candidates we support matter, as presidents appoint Supreme Court justices and federal judges who can shape our rights and freedoms for generations.

Just ask Donald Trump, who repeatedly brags about overturning Roe. In a landscape where these and other fundamental rights like contraception are increasingly under siege, the upcoming caucuses present a moral imperative for every Iowan.

Despite 90% of Americans supporting contraceptive rights, essential health care freedoms face mounting challenges. In U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinion in the Dobbs case, he suggested the court reconsider other crucial, longstanding precendents — including, specifically, the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut decision, which found that states cannot prevent married couples from buying and using contraception.

Democrats in Congress introduced the “Right to Contraception Act,” essential for protecting the right to contraception at the federal level. It should have been an easy vote, yet, 195 House Republicans — including Iowa Reps. Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks — voted no. It only passed the House thanks to the support of all 220 Democrats then in the majority. Senate Republicans led by Sen. Joni Ernst blocked all action on the measure in the Senate. They just did so again in 2023.

Anti-contraception legislation and other extreme policy pronouncements are gaining traction in states across the country. Iowa has not been immune. Last April, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced the state would no longer pay for any emergency contraception for sexual assault survivors.

When it comes to contraception, today’s MAGA Republican Party cares more about pleasing its extremist base than protecting Iowans’ rights and freedoms. They fail to recognize that the right to contraception is central to an individual’s privacy, health, well-being, career growth, and participation in our nation’s social and economic life.

In the first GOP presidential debate, Nikki Haley asked her fellow candidates, “Can’t we all agree that contraception should be available?” But Haley’s track record does not align with her rhetoric. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis blocked funding for contraception — specifically for LARCs (long-acting reversible contraception, or IUDs and the Implant) for low-income constituents. President Donald Trump’s Administration's “war on birth control” dismantled federal programs and requirements to ensure contraceptive access.

As a state Senator deeply committed to the health and autonomy of Iowans, I also assert the urgency for Iowa to safeguard our right to contraception through legislative action. Iowans' rights must not be left vulnerable to MAGA extremists and the unpredictability of future court rulings.

As Iowans, we need to use our voices and our votes to hold politicians accountable for their positions and push for legislation that enshrines the right to contraception — our collective futures depend on it.

State Sen. Liz Bennett represents Cedar Rapids in Iowa’s Senate District 39.