“Women should not suffer in silence. … This hearing is not about a one-size-fits-all solution; it's about ensuring that every woman in this country has access to good information, the right healthcare provider, and treatment options.
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Congress Holds Its First Hearing Ever on Menopause — Gillibrand Calls It "Absolutely Disgraceful" That It Took This Long, and Republican Chairman Rick Scott Says "Women Should Not Suffer in Silence"
September 16, 2026
On September 16, 2026, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held the first congressional hearing ever devoted to menopause. Chairman Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) titled it "Half the Country, Zero Hearings." Witnesses testified on gaps in research funding, the near-absence of menopause training in medical education, and the lasting effects of the 2002 Women's Health Initiative findings on hormone therapy prescribing. Roughly 8 to 10 million American women experience menopausal symptoms each year. Scott and Gillibrand closed the hearing with a joint request to the Government Accountability Office to review how the federal government currently coordinates and funds menopause research and care — a bipartisan ask in a chamber where little else moved that week.
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“Menopause impacts over half of our population, and the fact that Congress has never held a hearing on it is absolutely disgraceful. Today's hearing was a critical step toward getting this issue front and center so that we can find the best ways to improve research, training, and care for women experiencing menopause. I am committed to working with all of my colleagues—men and women, Democrats and Republicans—to meet the moment on menopause.