Two Democrats want taxpayers to pay for feminine hygiene products used in congressional bathrooms

Two Democratic members of Congress want the U.S. House to consider feminine hygiene products as office supplies that are eligible for reimbursement at taxpayer expense, the Washington Times reported Friday.

What are they asking?

Reps. Grace Meng and Sean Patrick Maloney, both New York Democrats, said the House should make the products available at no cost in all common bathrooms, according to the report. They also said offices that buy items, such as tampons and sanitary napkins, should be reimbursed for them.

The products should be viewed the same as necessities, such as toilet paper and paper towels, they added.

“Feminine hygiene products are a basic and essential need for women,” Meng said in a statement. “All women deserve access to them and that includes women who visit and work on Capitol Hill. It is time for the House to make these necessary items more accessible to women. I urge Speaker Ryan to do the right thing and I eagerly await his reply.”

In a letter sent Thursday to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the two lawmakers asked him to approve funding for the feminine products after the House last week denied a reimbursement request by Maloney.

Maloney’s office made the products available to staff and any visitors that used his office restrooms, and he wanted the purchases to be reimbursed from this “official office account,” according to the report.

“Speaker Ryan should make it clear that women who visit or work on Capitol Hill will have their needs met and that the House is a welcoming place for everyone,” Maloney said in a statement. “Women have been treated as second-class citizens for far too long. We have an opportunity to fix that problem here in the House, and the Speaker should take it.”

What did the letter say?

The lawmakers’ letter stated in part: “We applaud you for making toilet paper available free of charge in every restroom in the Capitol complex under your control. Similarly, we applaud you for making paper towels available as well. We implore you, however, to go one step further and make feminine hygiene products available to those who need them.”

The letter said that the change would “bring sanitation and relief to thousands of congressional employees, visitors and members of Congress alike.”