Patty Murray: “let's be very clear. The amendment that has been offered by Senator Vitter is an attack on the health and well-being of…”

“let's be very clear. The amendment that has been offered by Senator Vitter is an attack on the health and well-being of all Americans, purely and simply. When you look at the depth and breadth of this amendment which has been offered, it could withhold critical Federal dollars from virtually any health care entity or provider across the country that is in any way tied to abortion services, directly or indirectly. I wish to remind my colleagues that in some of our rural communities, there is only one health care provider. That clinic may provide flu shots for children, for the elderly, and it may also provide family planning services. This amendment which has been offered would tie that clinic's hands and prevent it from receiving any Federal funds whatsoever. That is just plain wrong. Our Nation's core health care providers rely on millions of dollars from Medicaid, from family planning, from community health centers, child health, and numerous programs which provide, as we all know, vital health care services to some of our Nation's most vulnerable women, men, and children. But because of the way this amendment is worded, it would put millions of men and women--primarily, of course, those who are low income who can't advocate for themselves, who don't have health insurance--at risk of losing access to family planning and other preventive health care services. We have all said many times we all want to reduce the number of abortions.…”