Halle Berry and a bipartisan group of Senators promote the Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women's Health Act.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning.
00:10Well thank you so much to everyone for joining us here today.
00:15You know I first ran for the Senate because I wanted to make sure that we had someone
00:20here actually talking about the issues that matter in women's lives and fighting for the
00:26policies to address them.
00:28When I came here, one of four women senators elected that year, things like childcare and
00:34paid leave, workplace harassment, women's health were an afterthought at best or worst
00:40just ignored.
00:42We've come a long way both in terms of women in Congress and in terms of giving these issues
00:47the attention they deserve.
00:49Look at the lineup behind me today.
00:52But there are still so many ways women's needs are ignored, overlooked, or stigmatized and
00:59menopause is a great example.
01:02After all, menopause is something that every woman goes through as she gets older.
01:07Every single woman.
01:09So why do we have a status quo where no one wants to talk about it?
01:14Why is it so stigmatized?
01:16The bottom line is for too long menopause has been overlooked, under-invested in, and
01:22left behind.
01:24It is well past time to stop treating menopause like some kind of secret and start treating
01:31it like the major mainstream public health issue it is.
01:35That means more federal research and coordination on menopause and other issues related to women's
01:41midlife health, more public awareness and education, improved detection, diagnosis,
01:49and treatment of perimenopause and menopausal symptoms, and better training for our healthcare
01:55providers for a start.
01:57So that's exactly what we did with our new legislation, the Advancing Menopause Care
02:02and Midlife Women's Health Act.
02:05I am so proud to introduce this bill today along with so many other amazing women on
02:11both sides of the aisle because menopause is not a bad word.
02:17It's not something to be ashamed of and it is not something Congress or the federal government
02:23should ignore.
02:25Menopause is something that every woman goes through.
02:27So there's no reason that any woman should feel like she's going through it alone or
02:32like she can't find reliable information or the healthcare answers and options she needs.
02:39And there is no excuse for shortchanging this issue when it comes to federal dollars.
02:44So we're going to be working hard to build support for our legislation, pass it into
02:49law and make menopause a part of the conversation until it finally gets the spotlight and resources
02:57that it needs.
02:58And I'm grateful, really grateful to have an amazing partner working with us on this
03:04with us who is really an expert in the spotlight and a really passionate advocate about this
03:11issue, Halle Berry.
03:13From our conversation about this, I could tell she has the same feeling that always
03:18drives me to fight for change.
03:21If no one else is going to talk about this, I'll get it done myself.
03:25Halle, thank you.
03:29I'm really excited for you to hear from her shortly.
03:32She really is incredible.
03:34And I'm also thrilled to have a really strong showing of women here in the Senate on both
03:39sides of the aisle joining us to introduce this bill today.
03:43I especially want to thank my co-leads in the Senate, Senator Murkowski, Baldwin, Collins,
03:49Klobuchar, and Capito, and our other great sponsors who you'll hear from as well today,
03:55Senators Stabenow, Gillibrand, and Hassan.
03:58These are all women who know how to get things done.
04:01So thank you all so much for being a part of this.
04:04And with that, let me turn it over to my co-lead, Senator Murkowski.
04:07Thank you, Patty.
04:10I want to thank Chairman Murray for her leadership on this initiative.
04:15I think that you and I both kind of came into the conversation with a meeting with Halle
04:22Berry, who came to the Capitol last year, to raise this as an issue.
04:26And it was one of those moments where you just kind of stop and say, why not?
04:34Why haven't we focused more on menopause?
04:37Why has it become this issue that seems to be a little taboo?
04:47Good heavens.
04:49As Chairman Murray has said, this is something that every woman goes through, whether you
04:55have birth children or not birth children, whether you are in a higher income bracket
05:03or the poorest of the poor.
05:06This is a natural body process that one half of humans go through.
05:16So why has it been kind of kept in the back?
05:23Why have we not focused on the research, on the medical training, on all of the attributes
05:30of this?
05:32Why have we not allowed ourselves to really look at the full life spectrum of women?
05:40Most of us get to that point, hopefully, when menopause is that natural part of our life.
05:48So let's not be afraid to talk about it.
05:50Let's not be afraid to put the resources behind better understanding.
05:56Let's talk about it.
05:58And it shouldn't just be the women that are talking about it.
06:01When I mentioned to several of my friends that I was having a press conference this
06:07morning and we're introducing this legislation about menopause, it was like I had said a
06:14word that allowed them to finally speak.
06:17And what I got was, oh my gosh, that would be so great.
06:20You know, my wife is going through menopause, my sister-in-law is going through menopause.
06:24I can't figure out.
06:26They need the information as much as any women out there.
06:30Now, I would just suggest one little thought, that if men went through menopause, we would
06:36have adequately and appropriately funded the research to menopause decades and decades ago.
06:43So there's no time like the present to get moving, to get forward on it.
06:48To be with this strong delegation of women, knowing that we will gain our partners, not
06:54only on a bipartisan basis, but with our male counterparts in the Senate and in the House,
06:59I'm looking forward to that.
07:00But we really got the conversation started with Halle Berry, and I want to recognize her.
07:05But I look forward to working together to make the positive advancements that women need.
07:10All right, who's it for?
07:14Halle Berry.
07:16Hello.
07:17First, let me say how incredibly honored I am to be here.
07:22I never did I think in my lifetime I would be here advocating for something and being
07:28a champion of a cause, especially this one.
07:30But I want to thank Senator Murray.
07:33You were the first person that I met when I came here on this journey.
07:39And Senator Murkowski, thank you for coming on as also a co-lead.
07:44When that happened, I knew right away, oh my God, this is going to be a bipartisan movement
07:49because I can't think of a topic that should not be politicized.
07:54I can't think of an issue that's more of a human rights issue than anything.
07:58So to have support from both sides of the aisle is really important for all women.
08:02I thank everyone else, all of you other beautiful, smart, strong women up here for lending your
08:08support and agreeing to co-lead or co-sponsor because this is probably, I think, in our
08:14lifetime, ladies, one of the most important things that we'll do for ourselves.
08:19And it's really important that we all stand together and lock arms.
08:21And I am beyond honored to be here and be a part of this movement that's happening.
08:27So you guys might say, okay, why me?
08:29Why am I here?
08:30Well, first, I'm here because I'm standing up for myself.
08:36Because I know that when a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.
08:42And all women go through menopause.
08:45And we think that this is something that affects just old women.
08:53Society has told us when we get to be old, we should just sort of putter away.
08:57We should fall off into obscurity and that our issues don't matter.
09:01Well, that's just not true.
09:03I am going to be 58 years old this year, and I have never felt better.
09:07I have never felt more ready for this world.
09:10I am wiser.
09:11I have raised, I'm in the process of raising children.
09:13I started late.
09:14I'm raising children.
09:15And I'm more accomplished than I've ever been.
09:18I've risen to the top of my chosen industry.
09:21It's not time for me to go out to pasture and lay down and die.
09:25Which our society would tell me it's time for me to do.
09:28I want to start a brand new career.
09:30I'm going to start a business that will speak to women in midlife.
09:34Because I want to use the platform that I have to really do real good in life.
09:37Making movies has been fine, and I'm proud of that.
09:40But I really want to, for this next act of my life, really give back in a way that's
09:46substantial.
09:47That will be talked about long after I'm gone.
09:49But it will really make a difference in the life of every woman.
09:53So, one of the things that I've been struggling with, and this is the part of my job in all
09:59of this, is to always keep this issue human.
10:02You all, I'm sure, have heard about my lady part issues.
10:06But menopause is not just about our lady parts.
10:09And so many people think it's just about what happens below our belly button and that's
10:13where our issues are.
10:14That's not true.
10:15One of the most impactful issues that we're facing when we get to midlife is our brain
10:21health.
10:22Because estrogen, we have estrogen receptors in every cell in our body, every organ in
10:27our body.
10:28And when we get to midlife and our estrogen levels start to drop, it affects every part
10:32of our body.
10:33Not just our lady parts that people kind of want to write it off to.
10:37It affects every part of who we are.
10:40So it's really important that we lean into our healthcare in midlife, not lean out.
10:45It's really important that when we go to see our doctors, they have thoughtful conversations,
10:50knowledgeable conversations with us about what's going on with us.
10:53And I'll tell you a quick story, not about my lady parts.
10:55I told that story.
10:56This is another story.
10:57I was at the doctor three days ago and I went in to talk to him about an issue.
11:02And I said to him, you know why I'm having this issue, right?
11:05And he says, yes, I know.
11:07I said, tell me, why am I having this issue?
11:09He said, you tell me why you're having the issue.
11:11I said, no, you tell me why I'm having the issue.
11:14And we went back and forth.
11:15You tell me, you tell me, you tell me.
11:17I finally realized he wasn't going to say it.
11:19So I thought, okay, I have to do what no man can do.
11:22I have to say it.
11:23I said, I'm in menopause, okay, and that's why I'm having this issue.
11:29And he said, oh my God, I could never say that to you.
11:31Look at you.
11:32You don't look like you're in menopause.
11:33I could never say that.
11:34And if I said that to all of my female clients, they'd punch me.
11:37And again, I knew that is why I'm here doing this work, because it has to be de-stigmatized.
11:43The shame has to be taken out of menopause.
11:45We have to talk about this very normal part of our life that happens.
11:50Our doctors can't even say the word to us, let alone walk us through the journey of what
11:55our menopausal years look like, or look like, or our years after that, right?
12:00So when I have these moments, real moments that happen to me, I know that every other
12:05woman around this country are having these real moments as well.
12:08They're lost, they're afraid, they don't have direction, and they need help.
12:12So that's why I'm here.
12:13I'm here as a citizen of the United States, as a woman who is demanding that our government
12:20give us what we need, because we deserve it.
12:22We have been overlooked, we have been discarded for far too long, and I'm so grateful to have
12:29a team of powerful, strong, smart women who are saying, enough is enough, because guess
12:36what?
12:37It's enough.
12:38It's enough.
12:39So thank you so very much for being here and caring about this issue, and I have one
12:44last thing to say, and this is a call of action.
12:47While I'm so grateful for all of the ladies that are here, I'm slightly disappointed that
12:52they're all not here today, because that's just me.
12:55I get my heart set on something, and that's why I wore my orange suit, because I wanted
12:59all of the women to be here today.
13:01And the ones that aren't here yet, I want them to know, we've got work to do.
13:04We know, but I'm coming for you.
13:07We are coming for you.
13:08We are coming for you, and I will not stop until we all stand here, all the women of
13:13the Senate, myself included, I'm not of the Senate, but I'm here with them, and we're
13:17going to stand together, and we're going to fight to get this passed.
13:20And then I want every woman out there, in whatever state you're from, reach out to your
13:25senator, male or female, reach out to your senator, and tell them what you need.
13:30Demand to be heard, because that's one way you stand up, like I'm standing up right here,
13:36you stand up in your own state, and you demand that there's a change, and that money is allocated
13:42for your health, in midlife and beyond.
13:45Thank you.
13:46Thank you very much.
13:49And now I turn this over to Senator Baldwin.
13:51Oh my gosh, Hallie, we couldn't, we couldn't dream of a better champion for this legislation
14:01and this cause.
14:03Good morning everybody.
14:04I want to thank you, Chair Murray, for bringing us all together today, and I also want to
14:10give a shout out to Dr. Pauline Mackey, who I just learned is a Wisconsinite, yay, but
14:18for being such a champion on this important issue.
14:21You know, we don't talk about menopause very often, but we really should.
14:27As you've heard, half of America will experience menopause in their lifetime, with thousands
14:32of women reaching menopause every single day.
14:36Even though menopause and perimenopause impact millions of Americans every year, women have
14:42too often been forced to suffer in silence, with sometimes debilitating symptoms like
14:48hot flashes, sleep loss, mood changes, and joint pain.
14:52In fact, a national survey in the U.S. revealed that four out of every ten women said menopause
14:58symptoms interfered with their work performance or productivity.
15:04For far too long, menopause has been treated as a taboo, or simply written off as a women's
15:11issue.
15:13It's our responsibility to come together and to reverse that stigma to help millions of
15:18women get the care that they deserve.
15:21I am proud to stand with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to introduce this legislation
15:27today and together we can help millions of Americans better understand menopause and
15:33treat their symptoms so that they can confidently enter their next chapter.
15:39And now I want to introduce Senator Capito.
15:44Great to be here.
15:45Thank you for your advocacy.
15:47It's great to be here with so many of my fellow senators.
15:50I think we're proving here that menopause is not a partisan issue, it certainly is a
15:54bipartisan issue.
15:56Senator Baldwin and I are the ranking members, she's the chair of the subcommittee on Labor
16:01H, where a lot of the research, this to me is the most exciting part of what we're talking
16:05about today, is the research that's going to occur at NIH and other places to be able
16:11to answer the questions.
16:12The questions that, quite frankly, the only person I went to to ask was my own mother.
16:18And many of us have relied on our mothers and our sisters to give us a hint, give us
16:23a clue, see where we're headed.
16:25And now we're going to have the opportunity to not only have professionals better trained,
16:30but also have the research that backs up how and where menopause affects people.
16:36Some people it affects a lot, some people it doesn't affect hardly at all.
16:40And so there's a whole spectrum here.
16:42So I'm really excited about what this does and this bill does.
16:46I'm excited about the bipartisanship and we will work on many of our other members to
16:50be here today.
16:51So by taking this effort, I think we're taking a big step to help our fellow females, but
16:56also every family, everybody, really.
16:58This will affect everybody in the end.
17:00And I'm proud to be here today.
17:02I do have to slip out, though, because we have all kinds of committee meetings going
17:05on.
17:06So thank you all for being here and thank you.
17:08Thank you, Shelly.
17:09Oh, and now I forgot my last thing, Senator Klobuchar, my friend.
17:17Thank you.
17:18Thanks so much, Shelly.
17:19Thank you to Tammy and thank you to Senator Murray and Senator Murkowski and Halle Berry.
17:27We're going to match your orange pantsuit, I promise.
17:32This is a moment where we can make talking about menopause cool or at least not hot.
17:38OK, that is our plan.
17:40Y'all saw that new study that came out and that's great.
17:45Just this week.
17:46But when we were just talking about this beforehand for years, there's just confusion.
17:50What should we do?
17:51Is it safe to do this?
17:52Is it safe to do that?
17:53We know that for most women, this starts between the ages of 45 and 55.
17:59It can last for years.
18:02And here we are in 2024 talking about it.
18:05And as Lisa noted, I think if this was happening to men all these years, we would not be out
18:11right here doing this press conference because we would have figured out the treatment.
18:16We would have gotten the facts.
18:17And now it's our time and our moment to get this done.
18:21So I'm going to talk a little bit about my own experience with this, a little different
18:25than but yet similar to many women that I have talked to.
18:28I was diagnosed, as many of you know, a few years ago with stage one, a breast cancer
18:33in 2021.
18:35And for a number of reasons we are not going to get into the surgery and medication triggered
18:40months and months of hot flashes.
18:43And so literally I am going out to the Senate floor, having to give some big speech, listening
18:48to one of our male colleagues who have no idea what is going on.
18:53And I can tell you it is a recipe for hard times and dark thoughts like these guys have
18:58no idea what I'm going through.
19:00And now they're saying that.
19:02Why is he giving this speech?
19:04Why doesn't anyone care?
19:06And so these hot flashes, as noted, can keep you up at night.
19:11They can drive you especially nuts during hot weather, thank you, with lights.
19:15And for cancer patients, especially, there are very limited remedies and including nightly
19:21visits to the freezer.
19:23And by that, I mean, yes, putting your head in the freezer.
19:26At one point, I was doing an interview on antitrust scintillating topic on the Stephen
19:31Colbert show remote with that light like that in my face.
19:36And I had not one, not two, not three, but four hot flashes in the middle of the interview.
19:41The lucky part for me is for some reason, I never anyone could tell except this time,
19:45a very famous person called me and said, what are you doing?
19:49You look just glowing on that interview.
19:52It was just incredible.
19:55So while this is a taboo subject to usually talk to about, you can see there are some
20:00clear advantages from time to time.
20:03And it's easy to laugh, but we know that for so many women, it actually sets them back
20:08so much.
20:09It sets them back each day.
20:10It sets them back in their work lives.
20:12And fortunately, this conversation is now changing in a big, big way.
20:17So people at some point in our lives are going to feel much more free to talk about it to
20:21those male colleagues who are out giving a speech.
20:24And they're going to feel much more free to figure out what is wrong, what can I do, what's
20:28safe for me to do, which has been so confusing for so many women when it comes to hormone
20:34patches and the like.
20:35So I am really excited that we're putting this force and there's nothing that we can't
20:40do when you've got this group gathered on one stage.
20:44So thank you very much.
20:45I look forward to working with my colleagues on this.
20:47Thank you.
20:48And now up, the incredible and the author of the Farm Bill, which is soon going to be
20:53done, shows you can juggle many things at one time, Senator Stabenow.
20:58Thank you, Amy.
21:00Good morning, everyone.
21:01If you take nothing away from this morning, if you are not here as a man or a woman joining
21:08us, Halle Berry is coming for you.
21:11We're looking forward for that.
21:15So thank you to all my colleagues, led by Senator Murray, Senator Murkowski.
21:21And I would just stress a couple of things.
21:25This is a healthcare issue above the neck as well as below the neck.
21:30Back in President Obama's time, he, for the first time, set up what's called the Brain
21:36Initiative at the National Institute of Health to actually research the brain.
21:41We know that at least 30% of the time, a woman going through menopause will go through depression.
21:47It's physiological.
21:50And that institute needs to be researching menopause as part of the Brain Institute.
21:58There are so many ways that we need to lift up women's healthcare, whether you're a pregnant
22:03mom and not getting the care that you need, whether you're a new mom, whether you're going
22:08on in later stages of life or at the end of your life.
22:12This is about healthcare.
22:14And so I'm just very proud to be here with my colleagues to say the word menopause loudly
22:22and proudly.
22:23I was so excited to see they set up a menopause caucus in the U.S. House and colleagues that
22:28are part of that.
22:30This is real.
22:31It's serious.
22:33And as my colleagues have said, if men were affected, there would be a large NIH institute
22:43totally dedicated to every aspect of the effects on men of menopause.
22:50So let's do it.
22:51All right.
22:52Let me turn to Senator Gillibrand.
22:57Thank you.
22:58Thank you so much to these extraordinary women standing with us.
23:00I'm very grateful for Senator Murray and Murkowski for bringing us together.
23:03And thank you to Halle Berry for her passion, for knowing that women in America need a voice
23:09like hers to lift up this issue, to make sure people know what's at stake and to make
23:14sure people understand the unfairness of the lack of research, the lack of dedication in
23:19our medical schools to teaching doctors and OBGYNs about menopause and what the impacts
23:25are for women's health and what the best treatments are to deal with symptoms.
23:30You wouldn't believe it, but for OBGYN residency programs, a recent study shows that only 31
23:37percent of those programs have menopause in the curriculum at all.
23:42That is ridiculous.
23:43As many as 80 percent of OBGYN residents admit they're ill-prepared to discuss menopause
23:51with their patients.
23:53Women's health is human health.
23:55This is fundamental to our survival, fundamental to our well-being, fundamental to our ability
24:01to function in our families, in society, and to be a productive member of our communities.
24:08Menopause can make a huge difference in women's lives and could have a massive influence on
24:12age-related diseases.
24:14But it's one of the most underfunded, undertreated, and underdiagnosed fields of medicine.
24:20In fact, the majority of preclinical biology research studies in aging fail to even consider
24:27menopause.
24:28And we don't even have a clear picture of how menopause affects aging, how it might
24:33affect cardiovascular health, breast cancer, dementia, and mental health.
24:38This has to change.
24:40This is something that we should all believe has to be an imperative for the NIH, for national
24:45research, for our medical professionals, and for our med schools.
24:51I'm very dedicated to this cause since I am well past menopause.
24:55And when I went through my personal symptoms, I had no one to ask.
25:00My doctors were fantastic.
25:02I had women doctors who had already gone through menopause, and they explained everything.
25:07And I just think the rest of the medical field needs to catch up, they need to do their jobs,
25:12and they need to support women.
25:13Our next speaker is Senator Hassan.
25:17Well, thanks so much, Kirsten, and thank you to all of my colleagues here.
25:24And a special thank you to Halle Berry for using your voice to advocate on this issue.
25:30It's really a privilege to be with all of you today.
25:33As you have heard my colleagues and Halle talk about, menopause is one of those words
25:39that nobody wants to say.
25:41It's a natural part of life that no one is used to talking about.
25:46I still find that some of my younger colleagues, whether they are staff, whether they are other
25:53legislators or other political leaders, there sometimes is a woman kind of tiptoeing up
25:58to you saying, have you ever had like hot flashes?
26:03Like I don't know what to do about this.
26:05It is not something we have been talking about, and therefore it is not something that has
26:10been studied, that has been normalized, that has been invested in.
26:14And it's really, really not only long past time that we're introducing this bill, but
26:20exciting that we are.
26:22Despite the fact that half of the population will experience menopause, even in the 21st
26:27century, there is a really clear lack of awareness and public discussion.
26:32And really significant gaps in what we know about menopause.
26:37As Senator Klobuchar mentioned, for about the last 20 years, women have been told based
26:44on a study that I think is about 20 years old, if I'm right, Doctor, that they really
26:48shouldn't use hormone treatment therapy because of the risks involved.
26:55Then I read this article yesterday that says actually that study, done by a well-respected
27:01group, that was pretty wrong.
27:03The design was bad.
27:04People have known the design was bad for a while, but we're finally catching up and the
27:08new research shows that there are really safe options, particularly for younger women who
27:13are beginning menopause.
27:15So we have a lot of work to do.
27:18That's why this bipartisan legislation, which will strengthen federal research and raise
27:23public awareness and expand training, is so important.
27:27I too had women doctors, one of the best pieces of advice that I ever got was find a primary
27:33care physician who is female and about five years older than you are, because she will
27:36have gone through everything else.
27:38And I was very, very lucky to have excellent women physicians.
27:41But that also speaks to the need for full and diverse representation in all professional
27:46fields, especially when it comes to healthcare.
27:50So last thing, if we believe, as we do in the United States of America, in our beloved
27:56democracy, that every single person counts and has full and equal worth, then we have
28:03to make sure that we are investing in healthcare research, treatment, and actual care that
28:10serves every single person so that they can reach their full potential, be full contributors
28:16to our society, and continue to make a difference regardless of the stage of life they're in.
28:22So thank you all very much for being here.
28:24It's now my real honor and pleasure to turn this over to Dr. Mackey.
28:28Doctor?
28:29Good morning, everyone.
28:32I have the tremendous honor of representing the menopause research community.
28:38And on behalf of the community, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank
28:42you, Hallie.
28:43This is nothing short of revolutionary.
28:46I used to be that weird scientist who studied the brain and menopause, and I was kind of
28:50sidelined into, you know, the back area of the NIH and the like, and suddenly there are
28:57hot flash commercials on the Super Bowl.
29:01You know, so what's happening here, right?
29:03Now I got into menopause research not thinking, oh, you know, I went out to get my PhD in
29:08cognitive neuroscience to study menopause, but I got into it because of sex differences
29:14in Alzheimer's disease.
29:16And all of us have someone in our family affected by Alzheimer's disease.
29:20What you may not know is that two-thirds of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease
29:25are female.
29:27So why is that?
29:28Well, one of the many benefits of being female is that we live longer than our male counterparts,
29:35but we're also in a different position because as we age, we not only go through chronologic
29:42aging, we go through hormonal aging.
29:46And that has a very specific effect on our brains.
29:50So we heard about hot flashes, the hallmark symptom of the menopause.
29:55I measure hot flashes in my research studies by hooking women up to monitors that measure
30:00when they sweat.
30:02Last Friday, a woman came into my lab and we looked at her data.
30:06She had 40 hot flashes in one day, 40 hot flashes in one day.
30:14And yes, they are worse if you are being treated for cancer, they're worse if you're black
30:19or brown, and only 20% of women get their symptoms treated.
30:24Now why is that important?
30:26Because our research shows that if you do these fancy brain scans, the more hot flashes
30:31a woman has, the more stroke-like abnormalities we see in her brain, the more her memory is
30:37affected, and the more her memory circuitry is affected.
30:42So what does that mean?
30:44It means that menopause brings her brain to a different state when she's at the age of
30:4960.
30:50She has to build resilience.
30:52So what do we need?
30:53We need to get women the help they need to build the best brains that they can so that
30:59if and when the pathology of Alzheimer's disease begins, they're resilient to it.
31:05And to do that, we need more menopause researchers.
31:09We need more menopause funding.
31:12It just makes sense economically.
31:15So I am so excited, so excited to have this infusion of interest in this topic so that
31:23we can help women lead the best lives they can through a more informed understanding
31:29of menopause.
31:31And with that, I thank you, and I'll turn it back to Senator Murray for the questions.
31:36Thank you so much.
31:38Thank you.
31:39Thank you, Doctor.
31:40Really appreciate your insight.
31:42Thank you to all of our amazing co-sponsors, and especially thank you to Hallie for being
31:46the force behind us that is here today.
31:48This is the beginning, not the end.
31:51This is our start of going out and getting as many co-sponsors as we can on both men
31:57and women, and we are going to get this passed and put it into law and make sure that women
32:02have the research they need, have the public health information they need, and that we
32:06as women in the Senate, along with our help from Hallie and so many others, are going
32:11to change lives for women.
32:12That's our goal today.
32:13So thank you all for being here, and I think I have time for a couple questions.
32:17Yes.
32:18Anybody has any questions specifically?
32:19Yes.
32:20Hi, how are you?
32:21I guess, how do you talk to your leaders and your staff members, and how do you talk to
32:25your co-sponsors and co-leaders?
32:29So, our goal today is to get as many co-sponsors as possible.
32:33You know me, I don't sit around and pretend that this is done.
32:37Now we're going to go out and get co-sponsors, and when we have enough and we know we have
32:40the votes, then we'll bring it to the leader in the Senate.
32:43I know there are a number of colleagues in the House as well who are working on this,
32:47and we will just work as hard as we can until we get it done.
32:54Other questions?
32:55Yes.
32:56I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the March of Women, or if this has anything
33:07to do with the March of Women, or if this has anything to do with menopause?
33:08Has nothing to do with that.
33:09This has to do with the phase of life that women are going through during menopause,
33:13and the fact that we do not have the research, the support, the physicians out there who
33:17can help women through it, and make sure that women are taking the best care of themselves
33:21as they can as they go through menopause.
33:23Yes.
33:2416.
33:25Right now, this minute.
33:26Give us 10 minutes.
33:27We just started.
33:28We just started, so.
33:29All right.
33:30And we haven't even invited the men.
33:31And I bet they'll all say yes the minute we ask.
33:32Will you be on a menopause bill?
33:33Yes, yes.
33:34Of course we'll be on a menopause bill.
33:35All right.
33:36Thank you.
33:37Thank you.
33:38Thank you.
33:39Thank you.
33:40Thank you.
33:41Thank you.
33:42Thank you.
33:43Thank you.
33:44Thank you.
33:45Thank you.
33:47Are you afraid of it?
33:48Yeah.
33:49Are you afraid of this bill?
33:50No, no.
33:51See what I mean?
33:52We'll get there.
33:53Well, again, thank you all so much for being here.
33:55Let's go get this done.
33:56Thank you.
33:57Thank you.
33:58Well said.
33:59Well said.