House Approves Planned Parenthood Defunding

Abortion rights supporters rally in opposition to proposed federal funding cuts aimed at family planning and restrictions that would prohibit funding for private organizations that use their own funds to facilitate abortions, in Philadelphia, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011. The rally was organized by Raising Women’s Voices of Southeastern Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Early this morning the House of Representatives approved $60 billion in cuts in federal spending, including blocking all federal Title X funding for Planned Parenthood. And that's causing a bit of an uproar. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said, “The time has come to respect the wishes of the majority of Americans who adamantly oppose using taxpayer dollars for abortions.” However, by law no Title X funds can be used for abortion. Instead, it would make things like free HIV testing, breast and cervical cancer screening, family planning and prenatal care out of reach for many Americans.

Many politicians spoke out against the House Republican's "attack" on Planned Parenthood, including California Rep. Jackie Speier, who took to the House floor to speak about her own abortion. "I had a procedure at 17 weeks, pregnant with a child that had moved from the vagina into the cervix. And that procedure that you just talked about was a procedure that I endured. I lost a baby," she said. "But for you to stand on this floor and to suggest, as you have, that somehow this is a procedure that is either welcomed or done cavalierly or done without any thought is preposterous." Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler said the bill was illegal because it targets a specific group, and Manhattan BP also released a statement:

This afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to de-fund Planned Parenthood, effectively declaring a war on affordable healthcare services all over the country.
The results of this vote signal the risk of a true public health crisis.

Organizations like Planned Parenthood provide yearly Pap exams, HIV testing, breast and cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care and other essential medical services to the men and women who need it most. Planned Parenthood is often the only healthcare provider for underserved communities, those in high-risk situations and the uninsured and underinsured.

I stand with Planned Parenthood and related organizations in their fight to provide all people in this nation with safe, ethical, legal medical services. I urge the U.S. Senate to stop this destructive bill in its tracks before it is too late.

Planned Parenthood estimates they used $317 million in Title X funds for things like breast exams, cervical exams and infertility counseling last year, and has set up an open letter on their website to all Representatives who voted for the cuts. Even anti-abortion Democrat Stephen Lynch sees this as an unfair attack on public health. "This is about the ability of Planned Parenthood to conduct women's health care, to offer services that are deeply needed in many communities where no other source of health care is available…. I don't have many friends in the Planned Parenthood community. They don't support me. I am pro-life. But I respect the good work that they do."

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By Jaya Saxena in News on February 19, 2011 10:00 AM

Comments [rss]

harlemanon

wow. fascinating troll feed here. really wow. indicates the strong need for more advocates for a women's right to choose indeed....

Guest

I relied on PP during the years after college and during law school, when i did not have health insurance. Their sliding scale payment plan saved me when i was broke after college and just getting on my feet. I have never had an abortion. I did, however, get annual exams, antibiotics when I had a bladder infection, STD testing and affordable birth control The attack on PP by ignorant morons is just so infuriating and baffling to me. "NO affordable healthcare for women!!!" (and men too, for that matter). great mantra.

PaulaNYC

Why should government pick up YOUR healthcare costs? If you were footing the bill for law school, you apparently could have afforded your own coverage. Instead, you chose to spend your money on law school tuition. (I had an annual policy throughout grad school that cost me about $800 in my last year, before I started working. That's take home pay for a month of waiting tables in the evening or two weeks pay working a retail job in the summer. For me, it was a night dancing.)

Guest

Geez I cleared $450 a week in my freshman year in 1979.

Melanin Challenged

Camus can do, but Sartre is smartre!

robingee

Scooby Doo can doo-doo, but Jimmy Carter is smarter.

Rod

why should govt pick up your MILITARY costs?

robingee

You're dumb for a college educated exotic dancer.

Erynn99

i should probably also say that i DO now donate annually to PP - now that i have that ability. i appreciate what the organization did for me in the past.

robingee

I donate too!

Erynn99

drr.. nope, scholarships and loans funded 100% of my law school, and i will be paying off that 140k debt for the foreseeable future. i suppose you are right and i could have taken out more loans for health care. fair enough.

Guest

I relied on PP for health services both in the years after college and during law school when I didn't have health insurance. Their sliding scale payment plan saved me in those years after college when i was broke and getting on my feet. I have never had an abortion. I did get annual exams, antibiotics when I had a bladder infection and STD testing though. The attack on PP by ignorant morons is so baffling to me. "No affordable Healthcare for women!!!" (and men, for that matter) Great mantra.

whitecastlerock

Rod, Paula, this one has got it all....

robingee

Ides isn't around though (because Ides=Paula!) shhhh...

SFNY

What?! The picture is a lie?! Next you'll be telling me that women in their 20s don't use the phrase "when the rabbit died," or that this brilliant stripperlawyermodelceo failed out of expository writing back in junior high. What crazy conjecture!

Mordicai

SERIOUSLY. When the rabbit died? I haven't heard that since those crazy protesters would come to my college campus to spread disinformation. It took me forever to remember what that was. 23 skiddo, Paula, 23 skiddo!

robingee

I love you guys.

Mordicai

I'm always kind of bummed that you guys don't have a webpage I can throw in my google reader.

SFNY

Are you crazy? I don't want that mastermind paula sussing out anything about me. She might come murder me with those tiny little stripperceo hands of hers. No need to create an opportunity for her to put on her Ally McBeal lawyermodel outfit to defend herself in court...