Anti-Family Planning Amendment Targets Planned Parenthood

The anti-family planning politicians are at it again. Last night, Congressman Mike Pence introduced an amendment that restricts critical family planning funding, and the vote could come at any moment. We’ve seen family planning funding restrictions before — but this one is different. Rep. Pence’s amendment specifically calls out Planned Parenthood and seeks to ban Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers from receiving family planning funding.  

For more than 90 years, Planned Parenthood has helped women, men, and teens prevent unintended pregnancy and plan healthy families. Every year millions of them rely on Planned Parenthood for health care services, education, and information.

Time and time again, anti-family planning politicians put politics ahead of women’s health. It’s time to put a stop to these extremist policies.  Birth control is basic health care and women and couples should have access to it.  More than 17 million low-income women in the U.S. need subsidized family planning services and there is not enough funding to meet the need. Hardliners should stop playing politics and start focusing on real solutions. On behalf of the 2.4 million women who rely on Planned Parenthood for birth control each year, we are urging lawmakers to stop the political games and join with Planned Parenthood to put prevention first.

Call your member of Congress now and ask him or her to VOTE NO on the Pence Amendment to the Labor-HHS spending bill and to speak on the floor against this attack on Planned Parenthood.

Capitol Switchboard:
202-224-3121

And if you live in a district where a phone call won't make a difference, you can donate to make sure that Planned Parenthood health centers in your state continue to provide these critical services.  

•  Disgusting

  The goal of Pence and his ilk has very little to do with abortion and a great deal to do with subjugating women.  Thank you for this diary.

  by dhonig on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 12:46:36 PM PDT

  •  All the more reason...

    ...to support fellow kossack Barry Welsh when he challenges Pence again next year.

    by wiscmass on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 12:56:33 PM PDT

    •  You are right that Pence needs to be beaten, but

      as much as I love Barry (I did a fundraiser and some cartoons for him last time around), I am really not sure he's the strongest candidate.  If I had to pick somebody, I'd take his wife- that lady is a real firecracker!

      by dhonig on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 01:03:50 PM PDT

•  HAving used Planned Parenthood when I was

  younger--this needs to be stopped. Unfortunately telling my idiotic Congresscritters to vote against this is like asking Pat Robertson to give the benediction at a lesbian adoption party. It'll do no good, and give me a migraine. I'll call anyway.

  by irishwitch on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 12:49:16 PM PDT

•  IDIOTS!!!

  What hypocrites are these Republicans. They vote to block family planning funds, and the vote to block funds to educate the unwanted children that result!

  What mean and ruthless hypocrites. Jerks, all of them. Their abuse of the term "family values" is beyond the pale.  

  by kath25 on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 12:49:24 PM PDT

•  Donate to Planned Parenthood

  Thanks for posting this diary - but you forgot to post a link where people can donate:
  Planned Parenthood Federation of America

  Or people can find their local PPFA chapter and donate there. This is such a terrific organization and one of the best bangs for the buck you can get to support reproductive rights and women's health.

  A word after a word after a word is power. -- Margaret Atwood

  by tmo on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 12:54:25 PM PDT

  •  thanks, i will add a link! n/t

    by Planned Parenthood on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 12:55:36 PM PDT

  •  Supporting Family planning & abortion care

    providers is important.  Thank you Planned Parenthood for bringing attention to this topic.  People can also support their local private non-profit feminist clinics who are reproductive justice activists and women's health providers (including abortion care)in their communities.

    by Jain on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 01:37:27 PM PDT

•  Of course, I'll support PP but why fight for $$

  from the feds forever. What portion of PP funds are from the feds? Can't private donations suffice? And if not, perhaps if PP forgoes federal money more donations will occur...I have supported PP and its fine mission for decades and would increase my support if federal funding is eliminated.

  Also, can MediAid funds be used to pay for services? I certainly hope so.

  by kck on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 12:58:09 PM PDT

•  women's freedom

  Why is a woman's freedom such a threat to these miserable theocrats????  Why do they hate us to the extent that they have made a large goal of their religion the restriction of women's rights???  Why was I born despised by these particular white males for being female??  I cannot figure them out.  Such miserable hate, such a need to oppress.  They fear any woman who isn't a slave, which leads me to wonder why conservative males all question their manhood in the extreme!

  My district has a good congressman and two of the most low-life, slithering, reptiles in the senate (Bunning & McConnel).  Our congressman I trust, the senators would just as soon see all women die in childbirth with their 12th child, without the aid of medical care, period. (Except for that rat, Elaine Chow, who is married to Mitch McConnel, which would be a good birth control method in and of itself, come to think of it!) Bunning has about as many kids as he took fly balls to the head, poor wife, female slave unit I should say.

  by get the red out on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 01:05:25 PM PDT

•  These guys won't be happy

  until this country has reentered the Dark Ages.  Women should be chattel again, seen and not heard, vessels in which to incubate the next generation of male overlords.  With the present composition of the Supreme Court, there at least half-way there already.

  by CarolynC967 on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 01:17:13 PM PDT

•  Dreaming of poetic justice...

  There's a lot of anger expressed in some Comment here and rightly so!  I think a lot of Kossacks must be INFJ's like me. I just happened to be reading about various personality types this morning, and was looking at mine. Then I read this diary and a certain phrase from the INFJ description came crashing back to me:

  INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. ... INFJs may fantasize about getting revenge on those who victimize the defenseless. The concept of 'poetic justice' is appealing to the INFJ."

  Anyone else dreaming of revenge against these mean, woman-hating hypocrites? Maybe we can translate our fantasies into reality...

  by choice joyce on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 01:37:34 PM PDT

•  In his own words

  "Today I offer an amendment that is simple in its language, yet significant in its impact. The Pence Amendment states that no funds under Title X may be granted to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is the largest recipient of Title X funding. It is also the largest abortion provider in America.

  "Last year alone, according to Planned Parenthood’s own annual report, it received more than a third of its nearly $1 billion budget from government grants and contracts. And again, according to its own annual report, Planned Parenthood performed more than a quarter of a million abortions last year alone.
  ....
  "It’s time the American people know that the largest recipient of Title X funding in America is the largest abortion provider as well. It’s time to pass the Pence Amendment to keep taxpayer money out of the hands of Planned Parenthood."

  In its entirety

  here

  by Catte Nappe on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 02:31:02 PM PDT