Statement: McConnell Knows Public Has No Appetite for Defunding Planned Parenthood
For Immediate Release: Sept. 3, 2015
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced today that he does not have the votes to defund Planned Parenthood --- and block the millions of Americans who rely on federally-funded programs for health care from seeking services at the non-profit health care provider.
This comes as politicians like Ted Cruz have vowed to prevent Planned Parenthood from providing basic reproductive health care to millions of Americans --- even if they have to shut down the government to do so.
Statement from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund:
"McConnell announced today what the rest of the American people already know -- the public has no appetite for blocking millions of women and men from seeking basic, reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood health centers.
"The real question is can McConnell convince the rest of Congress to not hold the federal government hostage as a few politicians try to score cheap political points by cutting health care for millions.
"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."