PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION FUND GOES ON AIR IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, OHIO, WISCONSIN, AND PENNSYLVANIA
For Immediate Release: Aug. 26, 2015
“Stand Up for Planned Parenthood Health Care — Not a Government Shut Down”
Washington, DC — Three national polls and three polls in battleground states have now shown that Americans do not want to endanger the health care Planned Parenthood provides to millions of Americans each year. Now Planned Parenthood Action Fund has gone on-air to remind members of Congress that not only does defunding Planned Parenthood’s nonprofit health centers put millions of women, men and young people at risk — it is wildly unpopular with voters and carries a political liability.
Quote from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund:
“Millions of Americans rely on Planned Parenthood’s health centers for basic, reproductive health care each year — many of whom would have no where else to turn if they couldn’t turn to us. Women, men and young people know Planned Parenthood as their trusted provider — whom they turn to for birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and well-woman exams. And that’s why they have no appetite for talk of defunding the care Planned Parenthood provides — and overwhelmingly oppose the idea of shutting down the federal government in order to deny millions basic reproductive health care.
"From the beginning, this relentless campaign has been about one thing: anti-abortion extremists who will do anything — lie, twist facts, villainize providers, and even reportedly break the law — in their quest to ban abortion and block millions from accessing basic reproductive health care. But we know that any politician who throws their hat in with these extremists does so at their own risk — it leaves their constituents devastated, turns off voters, and frankly, loses elections.”
Planned Parenthood’s nonprofit affiliates provide health care to more than 2.7 million women, men and young people a year. More than half of Planned Parenthood’s health care centers are in rural or underserved areas, meaning many of those patients would have nowhere else to turn for basic reproductive care such as cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing and treatment or well-woman exams.
The ads will run in four states: New Hampshire, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and target Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Rob Portman (R-OH), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Pat Toomey (R-PA),each of whom voted unsuccessfully last month to defund these vital health services. There is also a digital ad campaign running nationally, asking supporters to tell Congress not to defund Planned Parenthood.
Supporters and patients of Planned Parenthood are also doing all they can in-state to ensure their members of Congress hear from them — both to admonish those who voted to defund Planned Parenthood, and to thank those who voted to protect the vital health care services the organization provides.
Across the country, supporters have organized more than 100 grassroots events, including rallies, town hall visits, press conferences, health center tours, and even an art installation. They have also made more than 62,000 phone calls, and petitions to stand with Planned Parenthood have more than 900,000 signatures. In Washington State, supporters are meeting with Sens. Murray and Cantwell to deliver 1400 thank you notes.
More than 340 organizations have also signed on to letters of support for Planned Parenthood.
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is a (c)(4) organization created to advocate for the health care that Planned Parenthood health centers provide. Planned Parenthood’s nonprofit health centers provide a wide range of preventive health care services, and serve a total of 2.7 million patients per year — at least 60 percent of whom benefit from public health coverage programs such as the nation’s family planning program and Medicaid. More than 90 percent of the care Planned Parenthood provides is preventive, including lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Approximately 1 in 5 women has relied on a Planned Parenthood health center for care in her lifetime.
Ad Scripts Below:
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
“SHUTDOWN” – PENNSYLVANIA (30 sec)
NARRATOR: First Pat Toomey voted to defund Planned Parenthood — risking health care for millions of women. Now Republicans want to shut down the government — to block funding for Planned Parenthood. What would a shutdown mean for Pennsylvania?
VETERAN: Will anyone be there to process my Veterans benefits?
SENIOR: What will that do to Social Security and Medicare?
MOM WITH TODDLER: Will I be able to get my daughter into Head Start?
SMALL Biz: What about small business loans?
NARRATOR: Tell Senator Toomey: Stand up for Planned Parenthood health care — not a government shutdown.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
“SHUTDOWN” – NEW HAMPSHIRE (30 Sec)
NARRATOR: First Kelly Ayotte voted to defund Planned Parenthood — risking health care for millions of women. Now Republicans want to shut down the government — to block funding for Planned Parenthood. What would a shutdown mean for New Hampshire?
VETERAN: Will anyone be there to process my Veterans benefits?
SENIOR: What will that do to Social Security and Medicare?
MOM WITH TODDLER: Will I be able to get my daughter into Head Start?
SMALL Biz: What about small business loans?
NARRATOR: Tell Senator Ayotte: Stand up for Planned Parenthood health care — not a government shutdown.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
“SHUTDOWN” -- OHIO (30 Sec)
NARRATOR: First Rob Portman voted to defund Planned Parenthood — risking health care for millions of women. Now Republicans want to shut down the government — to block funding for Planned Parenthood. What would a shutdown mean for Ohio?
VETERAN: Will anyone be there to process my Veterans benefits?
SENIOR: What will that do to Social Security and Medicare?
MOM WITH TODDLER: Will I be able to get my daughter into Head Start?
SMALL Biz: What about small business loans?
NARRATOR: Tell Senator Portman: Stand up for Planned Parenthood health care — not a government shutdown.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
“SHUTDOWN” – WISCONSIN (30 Sec)
NARRATOR: First Ron Johnson voted to defund Planned Parenthood — risking health care for millions of women. Now Republicans want to shut down the government — to block funding for Planned Parenthood. What would a shutdown mean for Wisconsin?
VETERAN: Will anyone be there to process my Veterans benefits?
SENIOR: What will that do to Social Security and Medicare?
MOM WITH TODDLER: Will I be able to get my daughter into Head Start?
SMALL Biz: What about small business loans?
NARRATOR: Tell Senator Johnson: Stand up for Planned Parenthood health care — not a government shutdown.