Tag Archives: health care reform

Who Stands for Planned Parenthood?

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The past couple years have been rough for Planned Parenthood. As Congress ushered in Health Care Reform, we have seen definite losses to women’s health care rights. In 2010, the leadership in the House of Representatives shifted to Republican and Republicans increased in number in the Senate. The very conservative Tea Party became a large voice in this new Republican Party and are outspoken opponent’s of women’s health rights.

Nationally, 89 new laws were enacted in 2010 that affect reproductive health care rights. Of these, 39 of them in 15 different states pertain to abortion. Fourteen states introduced measures to restrict insurance coverage of abortion.

In 2011, 162 new provisions were introduced and 49% of those restricted access to abortion. Five states restricted funding to family planning providers.

Arizona passed five new laws further restricting abortion that effectively required Planned Parenthood to cease abortion services at seven of its health centers. Women living in rural areas will be the most adversely affected by these new restrictions.  Continue reading →

Pro-Choice Friday News Rundown

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  • When did critical thinking become illegal? Ask Iowa, a magical place where a pregnant woman was jailed for contemplating an abortion. CONTEMPLATING!! (Change.org)
  • Retired Abortion Provider Explains Unsafe Clinics (Jezebel)
  • Home HPV tests ‘could raise cervical screening uptake’ (Int’l Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics)
  • If you look up hypocrite in the dictionary, you’ll probably see the faces of all the legislators trying to pass abortion laws that do precisely what they claim to despise about Obama’s healthcare law (L.A. Times)
  • Crazycakes anti-choicer tries to force his way into exam room of Washington clinic, is sued by feds for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE)  (CBS News)
  • And speaking of crazy…Anti-Choice Forces Adopting In-Your-Face Tactics and the Danger to Women is Real (RH Reality Check)
  • Why “the Gays” Need Planned Parenthood Too (Huff Po)
  • Unconscionable cruelty: Nebraska’s 20 week law meets the real world (UCSF-Advancing New Standards In Reproductive Health)
  • Senate Democrats show united support for Planned Parenthood- and we are SO appreciative! (The Hill)

Pro-Choice Friday News Rundown

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  • Republicans have rescinded their intention to try and redefine rape in order to get in the way of a woman’s right to choose (Slate)
  • Requiring Insurers to Offer Free Contraceptives = Win (NYT)
  • Anti-choice movement becoming especially proficient in race-baiting (RH Reality Check)
  • Arizona women in rural areas may not be able to access abortion thanks to push for new legislation (AZ Daily Sun)
  • Teens Answer: Why I Had a Baby (Time)
  • FBI investigating asinine hoax against Planned Parenthood (TPM)
  • Check out this super nifty map breaking down new state level anti-choice bills (Ms. Magazine)
  • AZ Republican wants to ban abortions sought on the premise of race or sex. Because that’s such an epidemic… NOT! (AZ Capitol Times)

Pro-Choice Friday News Rundown

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  • The “40 Days For Life” campaign menaces and intimidates women seeking medical care (RH Reality Check)
  • Tea Party advocates for small government- unless it concern’s a woman’s womb (Examiner)
  • Glenn Beck believes a woman’s right to choose is comparable to slavery (Media Matters)
  • The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wants to limit women’s access to birth control under the new health reform law (RH Reality Check)
  • New Missouri Law says abortion providers must tell patients life begins at conception (Huff Po)
  • Voting pro-choice is more important than ever! Read up on the potential consequences of an anti-choice congress (NARAL)

Cecile Richards Speaks Out Against Stupak-Pitts

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Planned Parenthood condemns the adoption of the Stupak/Pitts amendment in HR 3962 this evening. This amendment is an unacceptable addition to the health care reform bill that, if enacted, would result in women losing health benefits they have today. Simply put, the Stupak/Pitts amendment would restrict women’s access to abortion coverage in the private health insurance market, undermining the ability of women to purchase private health plans that cover abortion, even if they pay for most of the premiums with their own money. This amendment reaches much further than the Hyde Amendment, which has prohibited public funding of abortion in most instances since 1977.

Planned Parenthood serves three million women every year through its more than 850 affiliate health centers across the country and has worked tirelessly on behalf of those patients for affordable, quality health care. On behalf of the millions of women Planned Parenthood health centers serve, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America has no choice but to oppose HR 3962. The bill includes the Stupak/Pitts amendment that would leave women worse off after health care reform than they are today, violating President Obama’s promise to the American people that no one would be forced to lose her or his present coverage under health reform. Continue reading →