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February 18, 2011
Statement by Teri Huyck, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, on Passage of Pence Bill to Eliminate Federal Funding for Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Mike Pence’s amendment to bar Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds for providing basic primary and lifesaving preventive health care to women and families. Pence offered the amendment to the FY11 Continuing Resolution, which also completely eliminates the national family planning program Title X.
“Today, Republican House leadership pushed through the U.S. House of Representatives an extreme and dangerous piece of legislation targeting Planned Parenthood, one of America’s largest and most trusted health care providers, and voted to prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds for any purpose, including providing primary and lifesaving preventive health care to women and families.
“The outcome of this vote is not a surprise, but it is radically out of step with Wisconsin values and it is out of line with the issues voters want Congress to focus on.
“In attacking Planned Parenthood, the House Republican leadership has launched an outrageous assault on the tens of thousands of Wisconsin women and families who rely on Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin for primary and preventive health care, including lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings, annual exams, birth control, HIV testing, and more.
“For 75 years, Planned Parenthood has provided medical care and family planning services to women in Wisconsin. One in four Wisconsin women has received care from a Planned Parenthood health center during her lifetime, and last year 72,000 patients came to one Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s 27 health centers. Women and families trust us because we deliver care to those who need it most.
“This policy of attempting to undermine Planned Parenthood, the organization in the United States that does more than any other to encourage the use of contraception for those wanting to avoid pregnancy, certainly guarantees an increase in the number of unintended pregnancies. It is difficult to understand why people who say they are opposed to abortion would do so much to undermine the family planning and contraception that helps prevent the need for it.
“Most importantly, those who want to put Planned Parenthood out of business have not explained how the three million Americans currently served by Planned Parenthood's more than 800 health centers nationwide will get the health care they need if this dangerous provision becomes law.
“It now falls to Senators from both parties to join together to reject this extreme approach, restore common sense, and guarantee that Planned Parenthood and the millions of Americans who count on us for health care are protected. Ensuring that millions of women can obtain health care from their trusted provider is what mainstream Americans want and expect from the United States Senate."
Statement by Teri Huyck, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, on Passage of Pence Bill to Eliminate Federal Funding for Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Mike Pence’s amendment to bar Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds for providing basic primary and lifesaving preventive health care to women and families. Pence offered the amendment to the FY11 Continuing Resolution, which also completely eliminates the national family planning program Title X.
“Today, Republican House leadership pushed through the U.S. House of Representatives an extreme and dangerous piece of legislation targeting Planned Parenthood, one of America’s largest and most trusted health care providers, and voted to prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds for any purpose, including providing primary and lifesaving preventive health care to women and families.
“The outcome of this vote is not a surprise, but it is radically out of step with Wisconsin values and it is out of line with the issues voters want Congress to focus on.
“In attacking Planned Parenthood, the House Republican leadership has launched an outrageous assault on the tens of thousands of Wisconsin women and families who rely on Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin for primary and preventive health care, including lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings, annual exams, birth control, HIV testing, and more.
“For 75 years, Planned Parenthood has provided medical care and family planning services to women in Wisconsin. One in four Wisconsin women has received care from a Planned Parenthood health center during her lifetime, and last year 72,000 patients came to one Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s 27 health centers. Women and families trust us because we deliver care to those who need it most.
“This policy of attempting to undermine Planned Parenthood, the organization in the United States that does more than any other to encourage the use of contraception for those wanting to avoid pregnancy, certainly guarantees an increase in the number of unintended pregnancies. It is difficult to understand why people who say they are opposed to abortion would do so much to undermine the family planning and contraception that helps prevent the need for it.
“Most importantly, those who want to put Planned Parenthood out of business have not explained how the three million Americans currently served by Planned Parenthood's more than 800 health centers nationwide will get the health care they need if this dangerous provision becomes law.
“It now falls to Senators from both parties to join together to reject this extreme approach, restore common sense, and guarantee that Planned Parenthood and the millions of Americans who count on us for health care are protected. Ensuring that millions of women can obtain health care from their trusted provider is what mainstream Americans want and expect from the United States Senate."