Planned Parenthood Votes Will Organize Voters in Pennsylvania While Pence Continues to Attack Reproductive Health Care

While Vice President Mike Pence spouts off misinformed rhetoric around abortion, Planned Parenthood Votes will work to turn out voters to elect reproductive health champions up and down the ballot

Harrisburg, PA — Next week, Mike Pence will return to Pennsylvania to host an event in Export, PA as part of the Susan B. Anthony List tour advocating against access to abortion. Pence will continue to advocate for abolishing access to abortion, even in the face of a global pandemic.

Today in North Carolina, Pence is joining the SBA List at a so-called “crisis pregnancy center” (CPC). CPCs claim to provide “all options” counseling, yet many of these fake health centers withhold critical information, and refuse to refer a woman to a health care provider when she requests information about birth control, including emergency contraception, or safe and legal abortion.

While Pence promotes a Trump administration agenda that cuts off access to care, Planned Parenthood Votes is organizing to elect reproductive health champions up and down the ballot in Pennsylvania. In July, Planned Parenthood Votes launched its seven-figure electoral program in Pennsylvania as part of “We Decide 2020,” the people-powered electoral program to elect champions for reproductive rights. From making sure that Pennsylvania’s electoral votes go to Joe Biden, to sending reproductive rights champions to Congress, Planned Parenthood Votes will serve as a significant force in this 2020 election cycle.

Emily Callen, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates released the following statement:

“It’s telling that Vice President Pence is coming to Pennsylvania not to talk about tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, getting the economy back on track, or systemic racism, but to spread more lies about abortion and reproductive health care. Pence’s failed health leadership, from his woefully incompetent handling of the COVID-19 task force to his efforts to limit access to sexual and reproductive health, is a danger to Pennsylvanians and the country. Pennsylvanians deserve a leader who will fight for our health, safety, and dignity. While Pence tries to distract from the administration’s out-of-touch, draconian health agenda, Planned Parenthood Votes will continue organizing and educating voters who want reproductive health champions in office.

With multiple visits to Pennsylvania in just the past week between both presidential campaigns, it’s clear that the path to the White House runs straight through our state. Planned Parenthood Votes will work every day to elect a president we can trust with our health and wellbeing — and we can count on Scranton-native Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris to fight for us and take decisive action to undo the damage of Trump’s presidency.”

This visit is yet another example of Vice President Pence’s incessant attacks on sexual and reproductive health. His record both as governor of Indiana and now vice president is clear:

Mike Pence has a record of creating – not solving – public health crises. In Indiana, Pence exacerbated a devastating HIV outbreak because he had personal objections to CDC-approved safety measures like providing clean syringes.
Pence’s response to COVID-19 as presidential task force lead has been marked by incompetence and dangerous disinformation. His failure in leadership has resulted in nearly 180,000 people dead in the United States and a lackluster recovery in comparison to other countries.
Pence has led the Trump administration’s numerous attempts to repeal the ACA, and encouraged the Supreme Court to overturn the entire law.
Under Pence’s direction, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) head Seema Verma is allowing states to cut off access to Planned Parenthood health centers for people with Medicaid.
As an Indiana Congressman in 2007, Pence brought the very first piece of federal legislation to a vote on the House floor to block patients from using federal health care programs (like Medicaid) for preventive care at Planned Parenthood health centers.
Pence predicted that legal abortion would end "in our time," hoping that “this will be the generation” to outlaw abortion. He also told the March for Life that its movement to ban abortion is “winning.”

The stakes for reproductive rights in Pennsylvania could not be higher. From now until all the ballots are counted, Planned Parenthood Votes will be working to ensure Pennsylvanians turn out in force at the ballot box to support reproductive rights champions.

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Planned Parenthood Votes is an independent expenditure political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission.

Paid for by Planned Parenthood Votes, 123 William St, NY NY 10038. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.