Gavin Newsom appears to be making preparations to run for president in 2028. He’s one of a handful of Democratic governors with national name-recognition, he’s governor of America’s most populous state and the biggest state economy. To his credit, Newsom and his team are getting in Donald Trump’s face constantly as well, and they are not “going high” whatsoever. But Newsom is, I suspect, still not ready for the national spotlight at a policy level. This week, Halle Berry rather spectacularly highlighted one of her big problems with Newsom: his veto on a bill which would create medical, professional and personal protections for menopausal and perimenopausal women.
Halle Berry spoke candidly about her opinion of a possible presidential run by California governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday at the New York Times DealBook Summit, declaring “With the way he’s overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us in midlife, he probably should not be the next president.”
Berry was objecting to Newsom’s lack of support for the Menopause Care Equity Act and his previous veto of a similar bill. Newsom is also appearing Wednesday at the summit.
If men “had a medical condition that disrupted their sleep, brain function and sex life, we’d be calling that a health crisis on par with Covid, and the whole world would shut down,” Berry said. “When women are struggling silently through perimenopause and menopause, trying to hold their families, careers, relationships and communities together, it doesn’t just affect women, it affects every household,” she told the conference in New York. “It affects the workplace, it affects the economy. One in six women leave the workplace due to their menopausal symptoms. So it affects everybody.”
The proposed AB 432 would have mandated comprehensive insurance coverage for medically necessary menopause and perimenopause treatments, required doctors to complete continuing education on menopause and directed the medical board to develop a continuing education curriculum.
“I need every woman in this country to fight with me,” Berry said. “But the truth is, the fight isn’t just for us women. We need men too. We need all of the leaders, every single one of you in this room – this fight needs you. We need you to stay curious. We need you to ask questions. We need you to care even when the topic feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable.”
After Newsom failed to sign the bill in October, he said, “Last year, I vetoed a substantially similar bill, stating that it would limit the ability of health plans to engage in practices that have been shown to ensure appropriate care while limiting unnecessary costs. That is still the case with this bill – despite my call for a more tailored solution. This bill’s expansive coverage mandate, in conjunction with a prohibition on UM, is too far-reaching.”
But Berry had countered that insurance premiums would not be substantially affected. Berry, who has been advocating for more attention for women’s health issues, finished her nearly 15-minute speech by saying, “At this stage of my life, I have zero f–ks left to give.”
It sounds like an incredible bill which could have been a national leader in protections for women of all ages. It sounds like the kind of bill where a lot of women’s advocates and women’s health advocates came together to put together something thorough and well-thought-out. And Newsom just vetoed it out of hand because, in his own words, he worried that it would cost insurance companies too much to ensure quality healthcare to menopausal women. Halle is badass for talking about this, and her comments will get national exposure.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
