Planned Parenthood Action Fund Statement on Mitt Romney's Quote to "Get Rid" of Planned Parenthood
For Immediate Release: May 11, 2012
Statement by Dawn Laguens, Vice President for Planned Parenthood Action Fund, in response to Romney’s comments today regarding Planned Parenthood.
[see full Romney quote below; as well as recent National Journal poll on PP]
“When Mitt Romney says he wants to ‘get rid’ of Planned Parenthood, he means getting rid of the preventive health care that three million people a year rely on for cancer screenings, birth control, and other preventive care. This is dangerous and out of step with what most Americans want.
“Mitt Romney simply can’t be trusted when it comes to women’s health. He supports so-called 'personhood' laws, opposes making birth control affordable and accessible, and wants to undermine women's health care.”
“Americans want a president who values and protects women's health, not one that plays politics with women’s health.”
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POLLING NOTE:
A 2/27/12 National Journal Poll showed that 69% of voters oppose Congress cutting off funding for Planned Parenthood, including:
71% of women,
70% of independents
79% of adults under 30
(http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/public-divided-over-birth-control-coverage-20120227)
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ROMNEY QUOTE:
At a campaign event in Kirkwood, Missouri, Mitt Romney reiterated his pledge to cut funding for Planned Parenthood:
“… As for ways to reduce debt, (Romney) suggests a few cuts.
‘”The test is pretty simple. Is the program so critical, it's worth borrowing money from china to pay for it? And on that basis of course you get rid of Obamacare, that's the easy one. Planned Parenthood, we're going to get rid of that. The subsidy for Amtrack, I'd eliminate that. The National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities,’ he said.” (WKDK-TV, 3/13/12)