Hi John,

Everyone deserves the ability to make decisions about their health and lives with dignity and autonomy, no matter their race, income, or the state they live in.

Last night, rightwing politicians shut down the government because they'd rather put 4.2 million people's health care coverage at risk than protect the enhanced subsidies that make health insurance more affordable for everyone.

The impacts of this shutdown will be devastating:

Hospital labor and delivery departments and birth centers will close, especially in rural areas
Medical debt for pregnant people will skyrocket
People will need to pay out of pocket for contraception and other essential care

Too many people will be forced to make reproductive health care decisions based not on what is right for them, but on what they can afford.

This shutdown is manufactured chaos that federal politicians own. But policymakers in states, cities, and counties can blunt these harms by funding reproductive and maternal health care directly, keeping labor and delivery doors open, and ensuring people can access care with dignity even as Washington plays politics with their health.

NIRH is working in states across the country to create bold policy solutions that fund reproductive health and connect people to patient-centered care. We partner with state and local organizations to advance bold and proactive policies that advance reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy.