What’s at Stake for Planned Parenthood Patients in the 2016 Election?

By Miriam Berg | Dec. 15, 2015, 6:23 p.m.

Category: Attacks on Planned Parenthood, Voting

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This year saw the most egregious attacks on access to Planned Parenthood health services ever. And the attacks are coming from all sides, from politicians out to “defund” Planned Parenthood to violent fanatics. Meanwhile, extreme presidential candidates are continuing to use the same kind of dangerous, hate-filled rhetoric that fueled violence against Planned Parenthood — and they're promising to block patients from care at Planned Parenthood if elected.

This election holds millions of people’s reproductive health care at risk, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Here’s what you need to know.

First Thing’s First: Americans Support Planned Parenthood

The truth is that anti-Planned Parenthood candidates are wildly out of touch with the public. Americans do NOT want to ban Planned Parenthood from serving millions of patients across the country.

• In fact, 14 national polls conducted in the wake of a video smear campaign show that Americans overwhelmingly oppose "defunding" Planned Parenthood.

• 69% of respondents firmly asserted that they do not support shutting down the government in an effort to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing care at Planned Parenthood, according to an AP-Gfk poll.

• Planned Parenthood has a significantly higher favorability rating than any other group or individual tested, according to an NBC-WSJ poll — that's including the U.S. Supreme Court, both political parties, and key Republicans running for president.

Anti-Women’s Health Candidates Would Ban Access to Planned Parenthood

Voters want to know that their next president will protect access to reproductive health care — including safe, legal abortion — and will ensure they can continue to seek care at Planned Parenthood. And yet all the leading GOP contenders for president are pushing the unpopular platform to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing care at Planned Parenthood. Some of those candidates said they would try to shut down the federal government over it, and others have already advocated blocking access in their own states.

One candidate stands out for already targeting Planned Parenthood patients in his state: Ohio Governor John Kasich. The 2013 state budget that Gov. Kasich signed into law effectively blocked patients who rely on public programs for health care from turning to Planned Parenthood for affordable family planning and preventive care. This, despite the facts that over 60% of Ohioans opposed the move, and tens of thousands of his constituents rely on Planned Parenthood for STI and HIV testing, sex education, and lifesaving cancer screenings.  

Pro-Women's Health Candidates Support Access to Planned Parenthood

To be clear: If patients were banned from turning to Planned Parenthood for contraception counseling, STI testing, cancer screenings, and safe, legal abortion, millions of people would suffer. Pro-women’s health candidates understand this. They understand that “services that Planned Parenthood provides are broad, and necessary for millions of American women,” as Hillary Clinton said.

So who has been the strongest, boldest, most steadfast supporter of Planned Parenthood among the presidential candidates? Hillary Clinton. In fact, she has taken every opportunity to speak out in support of protecting Planned Parenthood patients' access to care. Plus, while Clinton was in the Senate she introduced legislation to protect funding for family planning services.

To protect patients’ access to Planned Parenthood’s health services, reproductive rights supporters need to get out the vote to elect leaders who will protect access to care. We know we can do it. We know because Planned Parenthood advocates have mobilized before. Just this fall, millions of people fought back against attacks on Planned Parenthood and its patients, organizing events nationwide, posting their support online, and delivering 2.4 million petition signatures to Congress.

Where All Presidential Candidates Stand on Planned Parenthood

In 2016, Planned Parenthood Action Fund is fighting to elect a president who will, in turn, fight for the right of patients to choose Planned Parenthood as their health care provider. 

Here’s everything you need to know about which candidates support Planned Parenthood ... and which ones want to block patients who access care (like lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing) at Planned Parenthood.

• Jeb Bush cut funding for Planned Parenthood health centers while governor of Florida — and, if elected president would block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood.

• Ben Carson wants to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood.

• Chris Christie vetoed family planning funds eight times as governor of New Jersey — and, if elected president  would block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood.

• Hillary Clinton is an outspoken supporter of Planned Parenthood and family planning. She taken every opportunity to speak out in support of Planned Parenthood, and as a senator she introduced legislation to protect family planning services. Clinton is unabashedly in our corner!

• Ted Cruz has voted multiple times to “defund” Planned Parenthood, and said he would shut down the government to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood.

• Carly Fiorina would shut down the government to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood

• Lindsey Graham already voted multiple times to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood

• Mike Huckabee wants to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood.

• John Kasich already blocked patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood.

• Martin O'Malley supports Planned Parenthood. He’s in our corner!

• George Pataki wants to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood.

• Rand Paul already voted multiple times to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood

• Marco Rubio already voted multiple to times to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood

• Bernie Sanders supports Planned Parenthood. He’s in our corner!

• Rick Santorum wants to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood.

• Donald Trump wants to block patients who rely on federal funds from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood.

More on the Candidates

See a full overview of where the presidential candidates stand on all of the most important issues for reproductive health. And learn more about what’s at stake for Planned Parenthood patients.

Join the Fight

Together, we will elect leaders who support access to services at Planned Parenthood, who will reject legislation that blocks patients from seeking care at Planned Parenthood, and will help protect Planned Parenthood from states that try to exclude it from grant programs.

Tags: Abortion, Planned Parenthood, Election 2016, Hillary Clinton