How Planned Parenthood Votes is Going to Paint the House Pink

For the last 20 months, the Trump-Pence administration has worked hand-in-hand with Congressional leaders to attack our health and rights. Since 2011, the Republican-led Congress has voted over 60 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — including three times just last year — and more than 20 times to “defund” Planned Parenthood. Now they’re trying to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, an anti-abortion judge who could flip the balance of the Supreme Court against women’s constitutional rights. This puts health care at risk for tens of millions of people.

It takes just 24 seats to change the balance of the House of Representatives, and we’re ready to take them. With Election Day approaching November 6, Planned Parenthood Votes is launching our plan to take back the House of Representatives and ensure our leaders stand with us and protect women’s health.

This fight couldn’t be more important. Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court is looming. That threat comes amid repeated calls by Republican lawmakers to revive the ACA repeal bill that would gut Medicaid, strip protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and “defund” Planned Parenthood. With so much at stake, it’s more important than ever that we flip the House to a pro-reproductive health majority.

Voters want more — not less — access to quality, affordable health care

A recent poll by NBC and The Wall Street Journal found that health care is the single most important issue for voters this election season. Why? Because people know their health care is on the line. More than a quarter of working-age adults have a pre-existing condition — which could have blocked them from health care coverage had Republicans successfully repealed the ACA. An overwhelming 75 percent of voters think it’s very important to keep the ACA’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

The majority of Americans also support Planned Parenthood. One-in-three women visits a Planned Parenthood health center in her lifetime. Voters are tired of Republican-led attempts to “defund” Planned Parenthood, which would block thousands from access to birth control, cancer screenings, safe and legal abortion, STD testing and treatment, wellness exams, and other reproductive care.

We need representatives who understand abortion is a constitutional right, support access to health care — including affordable birth control — and promote sex education. We’re telling lawmakers: If you don’t stand with us, then you don’t deserve to represent us.

Our plan to win back the House

The math is clear. Democrats need a net gain of 23 House seats to take back the House. Of the 30 districts that are toss-ups, 28 are held by Republicans. Our path to #TakeItBack runs through these 24 House districts across the country:

These 24 districts represent some of the worst anti-women’s health politicians in the country

In their own words, this is just how little these Republican House members care about women’s health and our access to health care — and why we’re ready to show them the door.

Planned Parenthood Votes is going to do everything we can to #TakeItBack. It’s up to us to hold politicians accountable and elect leaders who will fight with us. It’s up to us to take back the power from those who are intent on dividing us.