Political Quotes

“I rise to discuss the continued attacks on the rights of women to control their own reproductive choices. Women should have access to comprehensive reproductive care and should be able to decide for themselves how to use that care. Here is the problem. The politics of women's health care has reached an extreme point, most recently with the decision of the Susan G. Komen Foundation to stop funding for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood. Following the outrage of millions of men and women around the country, the Foundation reversed its course, at least for this year. A year ago, House Republicans passed a budget that would have eliminated the Title X Family Planning Program and defunded Planned Parenthood. Annually, these programs serve almost 8 million Americans nationwide providing primary care, cancer screenings, well baby care, contraceptive services, education, annual exams, STD and HIV testing, and flu vaccines. These programs provide critical health care services to many women who simply cannot afford to go anywhere else. It is ironic to defund these programs because family planning education and access to contraception can save money. For example, title X supported family planning centers prevented 406,000 abortions and saved taxpayers $3.4 billion in 2008 alone. The same House-passed budget would have also eliminated the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. Teen pregnancy costs taxpayers billions of dollars annually.…”