Post Sunday Show Statement: Romney “Just Doesn't Get It” on Women's Health and Economic Concerns
For Immediate Release: Jan. 28, 2013
Statment from Planned Parenthood Action Fund
WASHINGTON — This morning on Sunday political shows, several top Romney surrogates demonstrated that Romney just doesn't understand what matters to American women as they tried to minimize Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's comments that pregnancy from rape is "God's will" and minimize women's health issues in the campaign.
Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus referred to it as a "small brush fire" while Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson said the issue of safe and legal abortion is "not even an issue" in the campaign trail. Top Romney supporter and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said that people need to "get over it." Despite calls by Planned Parenthood Action Fund and several other organizations for Romney to withdraw his endorsement of Mourdock in light of his dangerous views, so far he has refused.
Following is a statement from Planned Parenthood Action Fund executive vice president Dawn Laguens:
"Today, women saw again that Mitt Romney just doesn’t get it when it comes to our health and economic concerns. Romney's top supporters fanned out for the Sunday morning political shows and dismissed issues that profoundly affect women's health and finances.
"This is part of a disturbing trend of ignorant and dangerous comments from Republican candidates and advisers over the past several months, but the real danger is the policy agenda they support. Working with a Romney/Ryan administration, Richard Mourdock, Todd Akin, Steve King and Joe Walsh would end safe and legal abortion, restrict women's access to health care, and make it harder to get birth control. These are the very politicians that Mitt Romney has promised to put in charge of a woman’s personal health care decisions.
"These are not 'social issues.' They are matters of basic health care, and they are fundamental economic issues for women and families."
Planned Parenthood Action Fund notes that the average woman would pay $18,000 more for birth control over the course of her lifetime under Romney's policies, since he would repeal the requirement that insurance cover birth control like any other preventive care. And the average woman would earn $389,000 less over the course of her lifetime under Romney's policies, since he would not say if he supports requirements that women be paid as much as men for the same work.