Hypocrisy Check: NH Politicians Take Ironic Position On Privacy and Government Involvement in Medical Decisions Weeks After Authorizing Most Aggressive Rollback of Reproductive Freedom in NH History
For Immediate Release: July 14, 2021
CONCORD -- Just weeks after passing and championing a state budget that represents an unprecedented intrusion on Granite Staters’ personal medical decisions, including mandating invasive ultrasounds at all stages of pregnancy, legislative leadership are taking the ludicrously hypocritical position of opposing community outreach to increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Hypocrisy: Speaker Packard said in a statement opposing President Biden’s vaccine outreach efforts: “Legislators in New Hampshire will continue the fight to protect patients’ privacy.”
Fact: Speaker Packard has seemingly forgotten that, just last month, he supported a law that will require some patients to undergo a costly and often invasive transvaginal ultrasound, even when they’re not medically necessary.
Hypocrisy: Majority Leader Osborne claimed the Biden administration is “intruding on Americans' right to medical privacy.”
Fact: Just weeks earlier, he supported an intrusive abortion ban with virtually no exceptions that interferes with the patient-provider relationship.
Hypocrisy: This week, Senate President Morse posted on his Facebook page, “this type of invasion of our privacy is not acceptable. We all have a right to keep our medical histories private, and this feels like an intimidation tactic that the government should not be getting involved in.”
Fact: Senate President Morse just crafted, passed, and celebrated a state budget that is the definition of having the government involved with private medical histories.
Statement from Liz Canada, Advocacy Manager for Planned Parenthood NH Action Fund:
“Proving irony is alive and well, these politicians are posing as champions for Granite Staters’ medical freedom and privacy just weeks after supporting an unprecedented rollback of Granite Staters’ reproductive rights and freedom. They either have a stunning lack of self-awareness, or they think they can pick and choose whose rights they will protect. Let’s be clear: door-to-door outreach to increase vaccine awareness and access violates no one’s rights, while the cruel and intrusive anti-reproductive health care budget that these politicians approved represents the greatest intrusion on Granite Staters’ reproductive freedoms in New Hampshire history.”
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Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund (PPNHAF) is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England in New Hampshire. The Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including voter education, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy.