Planned Parenthood Statement on House Homeland Security Committee Vote

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Abortion Amendment to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Bill Puts Politics Before National Security

Washington, DC--(ENEWSPF)--May 17, 2012.  Planned Parenthood strongly condemns the adoption of an abortion amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations bill by the House Homeland Security Committee today.  Not only is this amendment unnecessary and redundant to existing policy, but it is a clear case of bringing election-year politics into a critical discussion about U.S. homeland security issues.

This unnecessary amendment disallows access to the full legal range of reproductive health care for women, including access to abortion services.

“We know all too well that opponents of women’s reproductive health in Congress put politics before women’s health, but injecting politics into a debate on national and homeland security should not be tolerated,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.  “Abortion has no business being debated as part of a Homeland Security funding bill.  For months we’ve seen opponents of women’s health focus more on limiting women’s access to health services than on expanding jobs, growing the economy, and now, protecting U.S. national security.” 

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved. Planned Parenthood affiliates operate nearly 800 health centers nationwide, providing medical services and sexuality education for millions of women, men, and teenagers each year. We also work with allies worldwide to ensure that all women and men have the right and the means to meet their sexual and reproductive health care needs.

Source: http://www.plannedparenthood.org