Friday, April 15, 2011
MWPC Celebrates the Preservation of Title X & Funding for Planned Parenthood
Yesterday’s Congressional vote to preserve funding to Planned Parenthood and other family planning programs marked a critical affirmation of the rights of women across the nation.
The measure passed the House but failed in the Senate in a vote 58-42. Had this measure passed, low-income and uninsured women would have been denied access to crucial affordable services, such as HIV and STD tests, cervical and breast cancer screenings, and contraception. Furthermore, elimination of Title X funding would have cost the government $3.4 billion a year in other expenses; it would not have saved the government money or diminished the deficit.
As a nonpartisan organization dedicated to the rights of women, it was extremely alarming to us to witness the amount of mistruths that were incorporated into the rhetoric surrounding this debate. It is quite clear that this was not an issue of budget balancing but rather the promotion of political agendas. We applaud the dedicated efforts of all those who worked to promote the facts in this struggle – your work was crucial to the outcome of that vote.
We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to those members of the MA delegation who voted to preserve Title X funding, particularly those who were committed to its preservation all along. We would specifically like to thank Senator John Kerry, Representative Niki Tsongas and Representative Michael Capuano, who have been very outspoken on this issue.
This vote sends a very clear message to our Nation’s leaders: political battles cannot and will not be fought at the expense of the health, well-being, and fundamental rights of women.
