Rep. Grace Meng is OK with being the 'period lady' in U.S. Congress | USA TODAY

Описание: Rep. Grace Meng is known affectionately around Capitol Hill as “the period lady."

And she’s just “fine with that" – at least it means people are talking about what has become the New York Democrat's signature issue and one she has found surprising success pushing during Donald Trump's presidency.

Meng wants women in the U.S. and abroad to have free or affordable access to pads, tampons and other menstrual products. She's already helped secure them in all federal prisons and was key to getting FEMA to allow homeless shelters to buy them using grant money.

Yet, Meng, 43, is not finished. She's now rallying support for two bills that would further expand access to the products. The Menstrual Equity for All Act would make pads and tampons free for girls, the homeless, low-income women and prisoners. It would also make them available at businesses and federal buildings and, if passed, would be purchasable using health savings accounts. Her other bill, the Menstrual Products Right to Know Act, would require companies to disclose chemicals used in their production.

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