Additional Resources

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, abortion laws and access to care have varied substantially from state to state. Washington has taken steps to safeguard abortion rights and access during that time, including as recently as April 2023, when Governor Inslee signed a series of bills into law to expand abortion access, safeguard patients who travel from out-of-state, and protect reproductive health care data. In Washington, abortion and contraception are safe, legal, and accessible. 

As we face an unprecedented reproductive health care crisis nationwide, I am here with you and for you. I know that abortion care is health care. Reproductive rights are human rights, and you and all Washingtonians deserve the freedom to make your own medical decisions—including about abortion. 

Please review the resources below for information on knowing your rights, understanding Congressional action to advance reproductive freedom, and accessing care in Washington. 

Know Your Rights & Access Care 

On a national, state, and local level, you have rights, and you have options for access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion care. Do you have questions about those rights and options? See the relevant resources below. 

Federal: Biden Administration 

National Rights & Resources 

• Department of Health and Human Services Reproductive Rights Resource Website

  HERE 

• Department of Justice Reproductive Rights Task Force Information

  HERE 

• Department of Education Title IX Fact Sheet

  HERE 

Department of Defense Military Health System 

• Reproductive Health Care Resources

   

  HERE 

• Reproductive Health Q&A

  HERE 

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness 

• Updated Reproductive Care Policies

  HERE 

• Department of Veterans Affairs Reproductive Health Information

  HERE 

• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Pregnancy Discrimination Information

  HERE 

Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement  

• Medical Care Standards

  HERE 

Reproductive Health Care Coverage 

Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Secretary Xavier Becerra 

• HHS, Labor & Treasury Joint Guidance on Birth Control Coverage

  HERE 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 

• Revised Emergency Abortion Coverage Policies

  HERE  

• Medicare Abortion Coverage Policies

  HERE 

Department of Defense Defense Health Agency  

• TRICARE Reproductive Health Coverage Policies

  HERE 

Health Insurance Marketplace  

• Abortion Information

  HERE 

• Birth Control Information

  HERE 

Department of Labor 

• Employer-Based Health Benefits ‘Ask EBSA’ Hotline Information

  HERE 

Family Planning Resources from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs  

• Adolescent Health & Family Planning Resources

  HERE 

Title X Program 

• 2021 Updated Rule

  HERE 

• Clinic Finder

  HERE 

• Resources for Grantees

  HERE 

State Agencies 

WA Department of Health  

• Sexual and Reproductive Health Information

  HERE 

• Abortion Information

  HERE 

• Birth Control and Emergency Contraception Information

  HERE 

• Resources for Clinicians

  HERE 

• Women’s Health Resources

  HERE 

• Adolescent & Young Adult Resources

  HERE 

• Hospital Reproductive Health Policy Information

  HERE 

• Pregnancy and Abortion Data

  HERE 

WA Office of the Insurance Commissioner 

• Women’s Health Insurance Rights

  HERE 

• Coverage for Abortion Services Information

  HERE 

• Reproductive and Birth Control Health Rights

  HERE 

WA Health Care Authority 

• Abortion Services Information

  HERE 

• Family Planning Program Information

  HERE 

• Pregnancy Services Information

  HERE 

WA Office of the Attorney General 

• Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Care Protections

  HERE 

• Reproductive Rights Legal Assistance Alert

  HERE 

• IVF Consumer Alert

  HERE 

Government Representatives 

• Senator Patty Murray Abortion Rights Briefing

  HERE 

• Senator Maria Cantwell Abortion in Washington Snapshot Report

  HERE 

• Find your state Representative

  HERE 

• Find your state Senator

  HERE 

What I Am Doing 

Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus 

In the 118th Congress, I am proud to be a Member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus (PCC)—a group of over 150 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives committed to advancing reproductive rights, freedom, and justice.  

From moving key legislation forward to amplifying the voices of those in Washington's Ninth and around the country demanding action, I consistently stand with my PCC colleagues as we fight for your reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy. 

You can learn more about PCC here.  

Legislation 

Whether we are in the majority or minority, my colleagues in Congress and I are constantly working to advance bills that safeguard your reproductive rights and access to care, protect your private health care data, and reaffirm U.S. commitment to global health and human rights worldwide, among other key issues. Read more about those initiatives here:  

Abortion Rights 

The right to abortion is a fundamental right—one that must be safeguarded in federal law. That is why I am a proud [original cosponsor] of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify the protections of Roe v. Wade and enshrine the national right to abortion into law. I was also proud to sign the Pro-Choice Caucus’ discharge petition, which is only seven signatures from forcing a vote on the House Floor on this critical bill, even over GOP leadership objections.  

I am a strong supporter of multiple pieces of abortion rights legislation, including the Abortion Justice Act—which articulates a proactive vision for a future with true reproductive freedom for all; the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, to protect the right to travel between states for reproductive health care; the Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act, to protect abortion providers from retaliatory legal action; and the removal of the ratification deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment, to enshrine gender equity in the U.S. constitution. 

Contraception Rights 

You, and only you, have the right to decide whether, how, and when you become a parent. Every person deserves that right—and deserves to have their choice of the birth control method that works best for them, free from political interference. As extreme GOP attacks on contraception are already taking place across the nation, I am proud to stand with 9 in 10 Americans and support the bipartisan Right to Contraception Act. This bill would enshrine the right to contraception into federal law and protect all people who use it from attempts to restrict access to birth control. 

Access to Abortion 

In addition to protecting the right to abortion, true reproductive freedom means every person has access to the reproductive health care they need, regardless of income, insurance, or zip code. This requires decisive action to abolish harmful and discriminatory restrictions, such as the Hyde Amendment—a policy prohibiting all taxpayer funding for abortion care, blocking abortion care coverage for all those who rely on federal government-sponsored or subsidized health insurance. This predominantly impacts poor women and women of color. While the extreme GOP consistently pushes to codify the racist, classist Hyde Amendment, House Democrats successfully kept it out of the House-passed spending bills multiple years running in previous Congresses. Now, we are working to eliminate it once and for all, which is why I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act, to help ensure everybody can access the full spectrum of health care, including abortion care, regardless of their income or the source of their insurance.  

Expanding access requires leaving no one behind, and I am proud to support the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act to expand access to the full spectrum of reproductive care, including abortion care, and eliminate barriers for individuals with disabilities. 

Other critical abortion access bills my colleagues and I are working to advance in the House include the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act, to support those traveling to access care; the Reproductive Health Care Training Act, to address gaps in abortion training; the Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act, to reaffirm the FDA’s authority over medication abortion approval and access; and the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act, to crack down on anti-abortion so-called “crisis pregnancy centers,” which seek to prevent people from accessing, or even accessing information about, abortion care by spreading harmful disinformation. 

I also joined multiple amicus briefs to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court to protect access to the safe, effective abortion medication mifepristone.  

Access to Family Planning 

The vast majority of Americans has used one or more method of contraception in their lifetime—and nearly 4 million people per year utilize family planning services from the federal Title X program. Every person who needs it should be able to access the family planning support and birth control method that works best for them, which is why my colleagues and I are working to expand access to family planning, including birth control. I am proud to support multiple bills that will help achieve this goal, including the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act, to reauthorize and increase investment in Title X; the Affordability is Access Act, to expand insurance coverage for over-the-counter contraceptives; the Enhancing Questions to Understand Intentions for Pregnancy (EQUIP) Act, to advance the pregnancy intention screening tools that prevent unintended pregnancy and improve the likelihood of healthy pregnancies; and the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, to limit copayments for contraception for those utilizing VA health services. 

Data Privacy 

Your reproductive health care choices are nobody’s business but yours and your health care provider’s—and that information should never be publicized against your will or weaponized. We need to protect personal reproductive health data, including about abortion, which is why I am proud to support the My Body, My Data Act to create a new national standard for protecting the privacy of personal reproductive and sexual health information. 

Global Health & Human Rights 

Reproductive rights are human rights, and I am proud of the work Congress is doing to advance those rights here in the U.S. and throughout the international community. The United States is the leading provider of global health assistance in the world, and longstanding, ideologically motivated policies have a shameful history of harming that aid’s effectiveness and our leadership on the world stage. The Global Gag Rule—also known as the Mexico City Policy—has been in effect intermittently for decades, largely under Republican administrations. The version of the rule in place during the previous administration prevents U.S. funds from going to any organizations that not only provide abortion care, but provide information on abortion care, even if U.S. funds are not spent on those services. This forced organizations receiving U.S. global health funding to choose between receiving U.S. resources and providing comprehensive reproductive health care in the best interest of their patients. On top of that, the Helms Amendment continues to bar all U.S. global health assistance from funding abortion care, even in countries where that care is legal. When in place, these policies contribute to a massive burden of unsafe abortions and maternal mortality in the countries they impact, counteracting our global health goals and the health and wellbeing of communities around the world. 

While extreme GOP legislators push to codify these and other policies, to curtail human rights and slash global health and family planning funding, I am proud to stand with my Democratic colleagues in support of the Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights (HER) Act, to repeal the Global Gag rule; the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act, to repeal the Helms amendment; the Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality (GLOBE) Act, to protect global LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights; and the Support UNFPA Funding Act, to reaffirm our nation’s commitment to the UN’s family planning agency and global gender equality. 

Still Need Help? 

My offices and team are here to help you and answer your questions.  

For assistance with federal agencies and for local Washington resources, contact the office in Kent at: 425-793-5180

To leave a policy comment and for questions about federal legislation, contact the Washington, D.C. office at: 202-225-8901

Congress should do everything possible to ensure that the brave men and women who serve our country in uniform come home to the care and support they deserve. 

As Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have consistently worked to ensure that our Veterans receive the benefits and treatment they deserve for their years of faithful service. These benefits are critical for veterans, retirees, and their dependents, as well as those who are considering a career in the military.

See below for a list of federal resources and benefits for Veterans, dependents, and survivors.

Services for Homeless Veterans

Veterans Service Organizations

The following Veterans Service Organizations are located at the Seattle Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

• African American PTSD Association, Room 1062B, 206-341-8260
• American Legion, Room 1042, 206-341-8262
• Disabled American Veterans, Room 1040, 206-341-8267
• National Association for Black Veterans, Room 1062C, 206-341-8281
• Paralyzed Veterans of America, Room 1054, 206-341-8210
• Veterans of Foreign Wars, Room 1044, 206-341-8284
• Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, Room 1050, 206-341-8295
• Vietnam Veterans of America, Room 1058, 206-341-8294

Accredited Representatives

A VA-accredited representative can help you understand and apply for any VA benefits you may be entitled to including: compensation, education, Veteran readiness and employment, home loans, life insurance, pension, health care, and burial benefits.

Below is a list of federal benefits you may qualify for.

• VA Health Care Benefits
• Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities
• VA Pensions
• eBenefits
• Education and Training
• Home Loan Guaranty
• VA Life Insurance
• Burial and Memorial Benefits
• Reserve and National Guard
• Special Groups of Veterans
• Transition Assistance
• Dependents and Survivors Health Care
• Dependents and Survivors Benefits
• Appeals of VA Claims Decisions
• Military Medals and Records
• VA Facilities
• Phone Numbers and Web Sites
• Library of Congress Veterans History Project 

One of the most important aspects of Congress is developing, making, and monitoring laws. New laws are created every week. As a Member of Congress, I am actively involved in sponsoring and drafting legislation about issues that are important to you.

• Legislation I'm Sponsoring
• Legislation I'm Co-Sponsoring

Legislative Process

The chief function of Congress is the making of laws.  The legislative process comprises a number of steps and, on this page, you can find links to resources and information concerning legislation introduced and considered in Congress. An in-depth description of the legislative process within the House of Representatives is presented in How Our Laws are Made and Enactment of a Law on the Clerk of the House's website.  Abridged versions of how laws are made are also available for young learners, grade schoolers, middle schoolers, and high school students.

Committee Reports

The House of Representatives divides its work among over twenty permanent and standing committees.  Normally, before a piece of legislation is considered by the House it has been reviewed by at least one of the committees and a report is issued by that committee describing the legislation and indicating (on section-by-section basis) how the proposed statute changes existing statutes.  Congress divides its work among over two hundred committees and subcommittees, each of which issues regular reports on its activities.

Committee Hearings

After a bill is introduced on the House or Senate floor, it is referred to the committee of jurisdiction (i.e., the committee charged with reviewing measures in the area of law or policy with which the bill is concerned).  The committee of referral most often sends the measure to its specialized subcommittee(s) for study, hearings, revisions and approval.

For most bills, the committee or subcommittee fails to take further action on the referred bill, effectively "killing" the measure at this point.  (Occasionally, a committee will report a measure "unfavorably," with explicit recommendations against its passage, or it will report a bill "without recommendation," which has the same effect as an unfavorable report.)

If the bill passes the subcommittee with a favorable vote, it is sent back to the full committee for further consideration, hearings, amendment and vote.

• List of Today's Hearings Compiled by the House Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery
• Congressional Committee Materials Online via GPO FDsys

Federal Laws

The U.S. Code is the official compilation of the current Federal statutes of a general and permanent nature. The Code is arranged according to subject matter under 50 subject headings ('titles').  The Code sets out the current status of the laws, incorporating all amendments into the text. Prior to being added to the U.S. Code, individual laws are published in pamphlet form as "slip laws" which are later collected together in chronological order (not in subject order) as the Statutes at Large.

Proceedings of the House

The Congressional Record is the official transcript of the proceedings and debates of the U.S. Congress.  A searchable version of the full text of the Congressional Record is published the day after each meeting of the House or Senate. Learn more about the Congressional Record.  A summary of what is currently happening on the Floor of the House is available as the debate occurs.  You can also view the current House Schedule.

Roll Call Votes

A roll call vote records how each Member of the House voted, but only a minority of bills receive a roll call vote.  Learn more about compiling a Member voting record and how to read the roll call information.

Rules and Precedents of the House

The House Rules and Precedents are the official documents that spell out the process by which legislation is considered by the House and its committees; as well as specifying the authority of the officers and committees of the House.  Several collections of material explaining the rules and precedents are available through the House Rules Committee in their"Rules & Manuals" section.

Schedules of the House

Various schedules of upcoming House activities are available. House Floor Procedings are prepared by the Clerk of the House and there is a House of Representatives Schedule listed on House.gov. The Democratic Whip's office also compiles a Daily Whip, Nightly Whip and Weekly Whip as well as an annual House Calendar. The House Majority Leader's office also compiles a Daily Schedule and Weekly Schedule for the House floor.

Sponsored and Co-sponsored Legislation

Before a proposed piece of legislation can be considered by the House of Representatives, it must first be sponsored by a Member of Congress (either a Member of the House or a Member of the Senate).  Members of Congress who are not the primary sponsor of a piece of legislation may express their strong support for the legislation by becoming a co-sponsor of that legislation.  Learn more about the legislation that I sponsored or co-sponsored.

On the House Floor 

• On the House Floor
• Search for a Bill 

Voting Record