Women's Rights
I am firmly committed to protecting a woman’s personal right to make her own choices about her health and well-being. Because of my deep respect for family and individual choice, it is my belief that the right to choose must remain a personal health decision that a woman makes in consultation with her doctor and loved ones, without government intrusion. We must vigilantly protect this right by ensuring all women have access to the comprehensive healthcare services they need.
Additionally, I will work with my colleagues on both sides of this debate to promote policies that reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country through improved access to contraception and effective safe sex education. It is also imperative that families be provided with the support they need when a woman does chose to carry her pregnancy to term.
I am also committed to protecting the important reforms in the Affordable Care Act that ensure women are not denied coverage or charged more for coverage for simply being a woman, and I strongly support efforts to improve breast cancer research and treatment. We must build on the progress that has been made to narrow the wage gap between men and women. I will also work to ensure that critical programs supported by the Violence Against Women Act are fully funded and regularly updated and improved.
Fighting for Equal Pay
Congressman Schneider proudly helped introduce the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would build on the progress made by the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act by providing additional tools for victims of gender discrimination to seek and obtain equal pay. This bill would allow women to sue for compensatory and punitive damages, require employees to prove that unequal pay is job-related and call on the Department of Labor to educate and train employers to reduce instances of pay disparity.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
One of Congressman Schneider’s first actions was to cosponsor the VAWA Reauthorization Act. In addition to reauthorizing federal programs that seek to reduce the instances of domestic violence and provide assistance for victims, this bill increases the number of temporary visas for immigrant victims of domestic abuse and expands VAWA protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims of abuse. The President signed the VAWA Reauthorization Act into law on March 7, 2013. Read Congressman Schneider’s statement on passage of VAWA here.
Member of the Pro-Choice Caucus
Congressman Schneider joined the Pro-Choice Caucus and with his colleagues helps protect a woman’s right to choose.
Speaking Out Against Limits on Choice
Congressman Schneider spoke on the House Floor in opposition to a partisan bill that would limit choice for women. The bill would effectively ban all abortions after 20 weeks and dissolve Supreme Court precedent. Watch his speech here.
Protecting Reproductive Rights Around the Globe
Congressman Schneider helped introduce the Global Democracy Promotion Act, which would allow federal funding for family planning programs in developing countries. Women in these countries often have difficulty accessing proper medical counsel and information. This funding is critical to protecting the reproductive rights of all women.
Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer
Congressman Schneider cosponsored the Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act to establish a national commission with the goal of ending breast cancer by 2020. The Commission to Accelerate the End of Breast Cancer would prioritize federal research funds and programs.
More on Women's Rights
In marking of Women’s Equality Day, U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement.
In response to the Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision, U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) helped introduce legislation today that would prohibit for-profit employers from using religious beliefs to deny employees coverage of contraception or any other vital health service required by federal law.
The Protect Women’s Health from Corporate Interference Act also keeps in place the existing exemption for religious employers and accommodation for religious non-profits.
With an assist from three Chicago-area members, House Democrats today offered legislation to reverse the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision on contraception. But it's doubtful that, in the GOP-dominated House of Representatives, the measure will turn out to be more than good campaign fodder.
U.S. Reps. Brad Schneider of Deerfield and Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates are among the Democrats nationally behind legislation aimed at upending the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby contraception decision, but the plan could face a tough path forward.
The legislation introduced Wednesday would require most employers that have group health plans to cover contraception. The proposal could get a vote soon in the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate.
For-profit employers would be barred from using religious beliefs to deny contraception coverage or other federally mandated health services to their employees under federal legislation introduced in the U.S. House on Wednesday.
U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) voiced his strong opposition to H.R. 1797, a measure that would dramatically limit a woman’s right to choose by banning nearly all abortions after 20-weeks. The bill would implement a far-reaching ban on abortion procedures with very narrow exemptions that would effectively dissolve the precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade.
U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) voted for the Violence Against Women (VAWA) Reauthorization Act of 2013, which passed today by a bipartisan vote of 286 to 138. One of Schneider’s first actions in the 113th Congress was to cosponsor the VAWA Reauthorization Act of 2013.
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider met Tuesday with representatives from Chicago’s Response Center, SHALVA, Jewish Child & Family Services and JCARES at a Safe Place in Waukegan. They discussed the importance of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization and its implications for their organizations.