Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California Launches Congressional Accountability Campaign to Bring Awareness to Voting Records on Abortion
August 25, 2023
Contact: Jennifer Wonnacott
Statewide Digital Ad Buy Calls Out Republican Representatives with Anti-Abortion Record
SACRAMENTO – Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California is launching a statewide digital ad campaign today aimed at bringing awareness to the voting records of Congressional members who support restrictive abortion and reproductive health care bills. The Congressional accountability campaign enables the public to find out how their representative has voted on key abortion and health care related bills, and specifically calls out Republican representatives who have voted for a national abortion ban or against abortion access.
The goal of the campaign, launched as Congress wraps up recess and heads back to DC to vote on critical abortion related bills, is to empower Californians to engage with their elected representatives, advocate against national abortion bans, and protect and expand reproductive freedom across the country.
“The overwhelming majority of people support the right to abortion, yet too many elected representatives do not reflect the will of those in their districts and continue to vote against abortion. They must be held accountable for these harmful and dangerous votes,” said Jodi Hicks, CEO/President of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. “This accountability campaign serves as a critical reminder to our communities that we cannot take anything for granted. Congressional members need to hear loud and clear: Californians support abortion access.”
The Supreme Court's decision last year to overturn Roe v. Wade stripped away the right to abortion for tens of millions of Americans. Today, 24 states have implemented laws severely restricting or completely banning abortion, and at the federal level, 222 members of Congress have voted against abortion access.
“Far too many members of Congress, including some from California, support a national abortion ban. If such a ban were to pass, it would jeopardize the crucial health care access of millions of Californians and infringe upon our state constitutional right to abortion,” added Hicks.
The campaign is launching the same day as members of the U.S. House of Representatives minority are holding a Reproductive Freedom Day of Action, highlighting the Democratic caucus’ commitment to protect access to abortion and birth control.
The five-figure ad buy, along with organic social media, will run statewide for the next 30 days.
Included in the launch is a new landing page with voting records of all California congressional members and specific actions people can take to be part of the fight to protect and expand abortion rights. The voting scorecard issued by Planned Parenthood Federation of America was used to evaluate voting records on critical bills.
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