Has reproductive rights play out on the presidential debate stage.

Congressional leaders here in New Jersey have kept it a focal point of their efforts.

Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill today held an event to keep the spotlight on expanding contraception access for women in the state.

Melissa Ross Cooper was there.

And we all know and we've seen now that the Republicans do not intend to stop at states rights, but rather this attempt to ban abortion everywhere and how horrible that is, what an impact that has on women and just women's access to to really living their lives fully and how they want to do that.

Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill says no one should be able to take away access to health care from a woman.

So she's pushing her support for reproductive health.

Recently introducing new legislation that would provide more access to contraceptive medication known as the Convenient Contraception Act.

Insurance plans would be required to cover a full year's supply of contraception, as opposed to the current three month standard existing in most states.

We know that about 19 million women, unfortunately, live in countries and desert areas with insufficient access to the full range of contraception methods.

This burden falls just proportionately on women of color, which is certainly a concern here in New Jersey, where we see worse health care, worse maternal health care outcomes for women of color.

The measure would also ban health insurance providers from charging additional fees for the year supply.

One year supplies have been found to reduce gaps in contraception, continuation and unintended pregnancies.

Improve pregnancy, timing and spacing.

And improving contraception.

Equity and health outcomes while lowering direct costs of pregnancy management.

It's just one way advocates are fighting to protect women's health, as members of the Republican Party continue to try to restrict care.

For a bit.

Further, over a year out from when the Supreme Court made the really draconian decision to overturn Roe versus Wade, and I know everyone around this table has been working diligently in all of your respective roles to highlight that work.

But the stakes are really dire.

We have 21 states around the country that have either full on bans or incredibly restricted access to care and access to abortions for New Jerseyans or excuse me, four for their citizens here in New Jersey.

However, we are sort of holding the line.

New Jersey has done a phenomenal amount of work and much due in support to our colleagues at the federal level in safeguarding and expanding care to a full range of reproductive health services.

And Planned Parenthood is now seeing an increase in patients seeking care, many coming from states where reproductive care is now limited.

From Georgia, from.

Louisiana, from Texas.

These places are turning to us to to to receive, like life saving care that they could not receive in their life, in their home states.

We are seeing the influx in our neighboring state, New York, because they, too, are seeing an increase of four patients out of the state.

Ensuring that we have the right and access to abortion and contraception and reproductive health care writ large is foundational to the health of our.

Communities.

And to ourselves as individuals.

It's about our right to bodily autonomy and to self-determination, as we've been talking about.

Rights advocates say every woman is entitled to have.

So their proud New Jersey continues to lead and its commitment to protecting that care for NJ Spotlight News.

I'm Melissa Rose Cooper.