Planned Parenthood Statement on Senator Dean Heller Contradicting Himself

Axios is reporting that just a day after Senator Dean Heller pledged, during a town hall meeting in front of 600 constituents, to “protect Planned Parenthood,” and defended funding for Planned Parenthood services, his office issued a statement late last night citing misleading talking points and contradicting the Senator.

Sen. Heller’s spokeswoman Megan Taylor told Axios: “Senator Heller has worked hard to improve women's access to health care and the quality of care they receive. While he doesn't have a problem with many of the health care services Planned Parenthood offers to women, he is opposed to providing federal funding to any organization that performs abortions and is supported by taxpayers' dollars; he has a long record that reflects his position.”

Statement from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President, Planned Parenthood Action Fund:

Senator Dean Heller stood in front of 600 constituents at a town hall meeting and pledged to ‘protect Planned Parenthood.’ Senator Heller will be hearing over and over from his constituents that they expect him to live up to that promise.

“As Senator Heller knows full and well, federal funding does not pay for abortions. Planned Parenthood receives Medicaid reimbursements for preventive care, including birth control, life saving cancer screenings, and HIV testing. These are the services that have led to historic lows in teen pregnancy and unintended pregnancies and are the very ‘improvements in women’s health’ that Senator Heller claims to support.

“18,000 Nevadans depend on Planned Parenthood for preventive health care and nearly 6 in 10 Nevadans support Planned Parenthood. Senator Heller can expect to continue to hear from his constituents about the important role Planned Parenthood plays in providing care to Nevadans.

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