Niki Tsongas: “We have less than 5 legislative days here in Washington before the end of this fiscal year, but instead of funding the…”

“We have less than 5 legislative days here in Washington before the end of this fiscal year, but instead of funding the government, House majority leadership is focused on defunding Planned Parenthood. For nearly a century, Planned Parenthood has been one of the Nation's leading providers of high quality, affordable health care for women. It has fundamentally changed attitudes towards women's reproductive freedom, which has been essential to women's health and given women more control over their health care decisions. One in five women has relied on a Planned Parenthood health center for care in her lifetime. They are often one of the few affordable places for women to turn when they are searching for care. Cutting Federal funds to Planned Parenthood means taking away money for cervical cancer screenings, breast care screenings, and other types of necessary care. Madam Speaker, I urge my friends on the other side of the aisle to come to the table and negotiate a way to fund the government and to stop these political games that put women's health at risk. ____________________”