Planned Parenthood Action Fund Endorses Health Care Champion Jesse Mermell to Represent Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District

August 13, 2020 — Planned Parenthood Action Fund announced its endorsement of Jesse Mermell in the 4th Congressional District race. Mermell is one of two Planned Parenthood alumnae endorsed by the Action Fund this week and, if elected, would join a growing group of former Planned Parenthood staff in the U.S. Congress.

Mermell has spent her entire career advocating for accessible and affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all and has centered these issues in her campaign from its start. As Vice President of External Affairs for Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, she fought for the Affordable Care Act’s critical birth control benefit. As part of Governor Patrick’s leadership team and then as the President of the Alliance for Business Leadership, Mermell partnered with the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts to push for state legislative measures aimed at protecting patients and staff outside of reproductive health centers, expanding access to affordable birth control and dismantling discriminatory and medically unnecessary barriers to abortion care.

We are thrilled with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s endorsement of Jesse Mermell. From her days at Planned Parenthood to her time with Governor Patrick and the Alliance for Business Leadership, Jesse has always prioritized the fight for reproductive rights and the wellbeing of Planned Parenthood patients. The Trump administration and its allies in Congress are hellbent on gutting the Affordable Care Act and putting abortion care out of reach once and for all, making it clear that our rights are on the ballot this year. We need proven leaders in Congress who know how to fight back while pushing forward bold policies that improve health care access for all. Jesse has dedicated her career to reproductive rights advocacy, and her experienced leadership is exactly what Massachusetts – and the rest of the country – needs.

Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak, President of Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts

Mermell’s track record of advocacy also demonstrates a deep understanding of the interactions of reproductive rights and economic security, including the fight for a fair minimum wage and paid family medical leave in Massachusetts.

The Trump administration’s attacks on abortion, birth control, and other reproductive care have spurred backlash across the country. A record-high 77 percent of Americans say they do not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned, and there is no state where making abortion illegal is popular. Those elected in 2020 to Congress and to the White House will improve access to reproductive health and rights across the country.

Find Planned Parenthood Votes’ presidential candidate spotlight here.

###

The Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts (PPAF) is the advocacy and political arm of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM). Formed in 1984, PPAF believes that working within the political process is critical to advancing PPLM’s mission to increase access to sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education for women, men, and families across Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.pplmvotes.org.