562 State Lawmakers Send Letter to Congress Opposing Planned Parenthood “Defunding”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, 562 state lawmakers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia submitted a letter calling on Congress to oppose efforts to “defund” Planned Parenthood through Medicaid cuts–a move that would deny millions of people access to essential health care in nearly every state.
The letter, organized by State Innovation Exchange’s Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council (SiX RFLC), comes after anti-abortion lawmakers in Congress released a draft budget cutting off Planned Parenthood health centers and other abortion providers from Medicaid funds. The vast majority of Planned Parenthood patients are enrolled in Medicaid and state programs, which in turn reimburse Planned Parenthood health centers for the care they provide.
“This is a politically motivated attack, not only on Planned Parenthood but on the millions of Americans who rely on it for essential health care,” said Jennifer Driver, Senior Director Reproductive Rights, State Innovation Exchange. “‘Defunding’ Planned Parenthood will weaken the health care system overall and leave many communities without access to a provider. Medicaid relies on federal funding, and state budgets will be unable to close the gap.”
Planned Parenthood provides essential health care–including birth control, cancer screenings, wellness exams, and STI testing and treatment–for over 2 million people per year. If the proposed cuts are passed, millions of women, people of color, people with low incomes, and people in rural communities would lose access to health care.
“Anti-abortion lawmakers are so obsessed with taking away abortion rights that they’re willing to throw out birth control, STI treatment, cancer screening, and so many other health services along with it,” said Colorado Representative Lorena Garcia. “These politicians are using Medicaid funding as a tool to target Planned Parenthood and as a result, punishing people and families who are working to make ends meet. It will fall on state lawmakers to pick up the pieces, and we are fighting back.”
In addition to threatening Planned Parenthood, the Medicaid cuts would also jeopardize state budgets, forcing states to drastically reduce or eliminate various programs to make up for enormous shortfalls. Federal Medicaid funds are the largest source of federal funding in state budgets, accounting for one-fifth of states’ total spending.
“In my state and in many others, Planned Parenthood is one of the few health centers where patients can go for reproductive health care,” said North Carolina Representative Julie von Haefen. “Without it, millions of people will be stripped of their health care overnight. ‘Defunding’ Planned Parenthood is nothing more than a dog-whistle for attacking women, people of color, working-class folks, and those in rural areas.”
“At the state level, we see every day how federal policy impacts people’s lives. These cuts would devastate communities, including millions of President Trump’s own supporters,” said Hawaii Representative Della Au Belatti. “We won’t stop fighting for all our constituents that need access to the critical services that Planned Parenthood provides. Health care is a human right, not a political football.”
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State Innovation Exchange (SiX) empowers, emboldens and equips state legislators to build and wield progressive governing power by/with/for the people they represent. SiX does this by providing legislators with the tools needed to shape impactful public policy and building their capacity to lead with their constituents. SiX fosters long-term collaboration between legislators – across chambers, across regions, and across state lines – and with grassroots movements.