California Gov. Gavin Newsom is firing back after Halle Berry publicly accused him of overlooking women. In a new statement, Newsom’s office addressed Berry’s critiques of his decision to veto a menopause care act, a bill she has championed to try to get across the finish line.
“[The Governor has] deep admiration for Ms. Berry’s advocacy on women’s issues. He looks forward to working with her and other stakeholders on this critical issue,” the statement said, per People magazine. “He vetoed the bill because, as written, it would have unintentionally raised health care costs for millions of working women already stretched thin — something he’s determined to avoid. We’re confident that by working together this year, we can expand access to essential menopause treatment while protecting women from higher bills.”
Berry made headlines earlier this week when she took the stage at The New York Times Dealbook Summit and didn’t hold back. The Oscar winner, a longtime women’s health advocate, called out Newsom for refusing to sign the Menopause Care Equity Act for the second year straight, and then questioned his rumored presidential hopes.
“Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill, not one, but two years in a row,” Berry said at the time. “But that’s okay, because he’s not going to be governor forever, and the way he has overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us, he probably should not be our next president either. Just saying.”
Newsom, who also appeared at the summit, addressed Berry’s comments later at Newark Airport in New Jersey. He insisted that he wasn’t dismissing women’s health needs and said he already had plans in motion to revisit the legislation.
“We have the ability to reconcile that, so we’re reconciling. I’ve included it in next year’s budget,” he told a reporter, per People magazine. “We already were in the process of fixing it […]She didn’t know that.”
