Dear John,

This week in the House, I voted against H.J. Res. 17, which would remove the deadline for the ratification of the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and H.R. 1620, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021, in order to protect women’s safety and rights as well as the sanctity of life.

The ERA aims to overturn existing abortion laws such as prohibiting taxpayer-funded abortions at the federal and state level. It could also force doctors and healthcare workers to go against their religious and personal beliefs by possibly removing Federal Statutory Health Care Provider Conscience Protections, forcing them to perform abortions. This is wrong. The ERA expired over 39 years ago. It’s time we include input from every state and start from scratch to create a more bipartisan ERA. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg even agreed with this. Last year she said, “I would like to start over...Plus, a number of states have withdrawn their ratification.”

I also voted against H.R. 1620, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021, which jeopardizes the safety and well-being of women, threatens Americans’ constitutional right to religious freedom, and is a worse bill than the current VAWA that is in effect. I support and have voted to extend the current VAWA, but H.R 1620, the new VAWA being pushed by Speaker Pelosi, includes dangerous provisions and mandates that make it more unsafe for women in shelters and prisons, like putting biological men who are transgendered in women’s prisons and shelters, and vice versa. Law Enforcement, pro-women advocacy groups, and faith-based organizations say this will increase violence, and I agree with them.

Faith-based shelters may be forced to shut down or go against their deeply held religious beliefs. Protecting religious freedom is one of our nation’s sacred rights, and it should not be violated. I further explain this bill in a video.

As a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus and the For Country Caucus, and as a retired Air Force Brigadier General who led the best rated sexual assault prevention program in the USAF, I oppose putting dogma over common sense that is within this bill. Read my full press release on the ERA and VAWA here.

Protecting women is a priority of mine, which is why I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 1892, which would provide the clean reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which guarantees pregnant workers the right to receive reasonable accommodations for limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship on the employer.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to my office at (402) 938-0300 or visit my Congressional website at https://www.bacon.house.gov.