Heartfelt thanks to Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy for defending Planned Parenthood against the recent attempt by their fellow Senators to cut funding. Despite the grossly inaccurate rhetoric being put forth by anti-abortion extremists, government funding for Planned Parenthood DOES NOT support abortion; it goes into reproductive healthcare and education—from providing pap tests and cervical and breast cancer screenings to educating our youth about healthy sexuality. Thanks to our senators, sanity reigned in the Senate, and the August 3rd vote to terminate funding failed.
Women’s health should not be a political football. One in five American women have visited a Planned Parenthood health center for basic healthcare services that they otherwise could not afford. In Connecticut alone, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) serves over 64,000 patients annually. Without Planned Parenthood, where would these patients go to obtain affordable birth control? And how would our young people continue to receive comprehensive sex education?
We are proud of Dick Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, who not only voted against defunding but also took to the Senate floor and publicly supported Planned Parenthood. August 3 was a great day for Connecticut and for protecting access to reproductive health care for men and women across the state and our country.
Erica Buchsbaum, PPSNE board member
Donna Moffly, former PPSNE board member
