Amanda Terkel reports on NARAL's new grassroots campaign to mobilize activists over the GOP's attacks on Planned Parenthood and Title X funding (the funding that provides funds for women's health and family planning for low-income Americans).
Though there is no mention of Title X in President Barack Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year 2012, Republicans have placed a high priority on cutting the $317 billion million [error corrected in original at HuffPo] the program received in FY 2011 appropriations, which would effectively eliminate it. The stopgap budget proposal the GOP released last week includes no money for the program, and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) has introduced separate legislation to "deny Title X funds to Planned Parenthood or any other abortion provider."
The abortion-rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America launched a campaign on Monday to mobilize activists in six districts where abortion-rights advocates lost to "anti- or mixed-choice representatives" in November's midterm elections. The campaign targets Republican Reps. Charlie Bass (N.H.), Robert Dold (Ill.), Chris Gibson (N.Y.), Richard Hanna (N.Y), Nan Hayworth (N.Y) and Steve Stivers (Ohio).
NARAL is also stepping up pressure on longer-serving members, including Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski (Ill.) and Republican Reps. Judy Biggert (Ill.), Charlie Dent (Penn.), Mary Bono Mack (Calif.), Rodney Frelinghuysen (N.J), Leonard Lance (N.J), and Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.).
It's good to see at least one Democrat on that target list. The war against Planned Parenthood goes far beyond abortion and federal funding. As David has pointed out, it stretches to how people choose to spend their own money--on insurance that provides abortion services, and probably eventually contraceptive coverage.
The war on contraception has most certainly begun, but it's a larger war on women's health. For many women, an annual checkup at Planned Parenthood and other Title X clinics is the only preventive healthcare they get. Shutting off that access won't do a damned thing to stop abortion. It will only end up endangering more women. Good for NARAL for making that the point of their new effort.