Political Quotes

“I wish to speak to the war on women's health and Planned Parenthood. To be clear, to end Federal funding for Planned Parenthood is to stop providing critical health care to millions of Americans, the majority of them who are poor and simply cannot afford services anywhere else. This effort will strip the poor and middle classes of their right to preventive healthcare. Through 800 nationwide locations, Planned Parenthood provides cancer screening, HIV and STD tests, contraceptives, education and empowerment. Planned Parenthood estimates it prevents over 620,000 unintended pregnancies and 220,000 abortions each year. Seventy-five percent of its clients are at or below the poverty line. Abortions account for just 3 percent of its overall activities. What House Republicans seem to have forgotten is that by existing law, taxpayer funding cannot be used for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or if the woman's life is in danger. A ban on Federal spending for abortions has been in place since 1976. That is 35 years this ban has been in place. Yet today House Republicans continue to try to strip Planned Parenthood of its Federal funding and continue to use this issue as a bargaining chip in a debate over the budget. But the vote the Senate will have to take is clearly not about the budget, it is a war on women's health. This effort would essentially turn back the clock on women's health. I said this last week, and I will say it again.…”