Booker Victory statement
For Immediate Release: Oct. 16, 2013
“It’s clearer than ever that we need allies like Cory Booker in Washington…” — Cecile Richards
WASHINGTON, DC — Planned Parenthood Action Fund president Cecile Richards congratulated women’s health champion Cory Booker for his Senate victory this evening in New Jersey. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which endorsed Booker, is the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Last month, the Action Fund put out a web video featuring excerpts from Booker’s speech at the Action Fund’s rally at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC. You can view the video here.
“This is a major victory for New Jersey women and families. Cory Booker is a strong champion for women’s health and rights. He will fight to protect women’s access to birth control, preventive health care, and safe and legal abortion. He understands that politicians should not interfere in a woman’s personal health decisions,” said Cecile Richards, president, Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
“It’s clearer than ever that we need allies like Cory Booker in Washington who will stand up against the narrow group of far-right politicians who would rather shut down the federal government than expand access to health care for women. Tonight’s election sends a clear message that women will stand behind leaders who stand up for them and their families,” said Richards.
“Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey congratulates Cory Booker on being elected as the next U.S. Senator from N.J., and we are proud that New Jersey will continue to have such strong champions for women’s health in the U.S. Senate. We’ve seen unprecedented restrictions on women’s health across the country in recent years, and we know Cory Booker will stand strong against these attacks. While some out-of-touch politicians in D.C. and N.J. persist in their efforts to play politics with women’s health, Cory Booker has made it clear that he will continue to champion affordable health care for all women and families,” said Ed Remsen, executive director of Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey.
As Senator, Cory Booker will fight to:
Protect women’s access to Planned Parenthood’s preventive health services.
In 2012, Planned Parenthood health centers located in New Jersey served nearly 83,000 patients by providing a wide range of primary and reproductive health services, including cervical and breast cancer screenings, birth control, and STD testing and treatment.
Ensure women have access to quality and affordable health care, as outlined in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
When the law takes full effect, it is estimated that 790,000 New Jersey residents will be eligible for affordable health insurance, many for the first time.
Make sure women in New Jersey have access to birth control.
The ACA is already making a significant health and economic difference in the lives of an estimated 816,000 women in New Jersey who have access to a wide range of preventive health care services, including birth control without co-pays for the first time. When the law goes into full effect,1,445,000 women in New Jersey stand to benefit from this provision.
Protect a woman’s personal medical decisions from interference by politicians.
“Our work will not be done until we live in a nation…where a woman and her doctor make her health care decisions,”says Booker. He supports Roe v. Wade, which guarantees women the right to access safe and legal abortion.