We want to thank each and every one of you who fought for months to protect Planned Parenthood and the women, men, and teens who rely on us.
We've Been Busy
Lawmakers had seen us on the streets and in the local papers. Now, on April 7, they heard us knocking on their doors. The Stand for Women’s Health rally on April 7 was timed for one day before the next critical vote by Congress on HR 1. Tea party members were putting great pressure on new legislators to hold the line and to not accept a new Continuing Budget Resolution that didn't include de-funding of Planned Parenthood and Title X. We had to keep up our visibility and pressure so the Senate would not cave or compromise. Click here to watch coverage of the rally and vote, on the Capital Region's YNN.
Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood partnered with Family Planning Advocates of NYS and Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson to send buses from Saratoga Springs and Albany to Washington. We joined supporters from across the country to meet with representatives to tell them to support women's health care and rights.
After the U.S. House of Representatives voted to bar Planned Parenthood from all federal funding - voted to cut off funding for birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, HIV testing, and other essential care that our health centers provide - UHPP and our allies worked nonstop against this outrageous measure. Our local University at Albany VOX chapter took only 9 days to organize a student/community Stand With Planned Parenthood rally on March 19 and turned out almost 100 people, despite cold weather and the threat of sleet. VOX officers kicked off the event with a rousing speech, followed by Congressman Paul Tonko. UHPP President/CEO Patricia McGeown spoke next and then students presented 180 postcards they had collected to a representative from Senator Gillibrand’s office. Representatives from Interfaith Impact and Young Democrats also spoke. The rally was followed by a speak out when the mike was made available to anyone who wanted to speak about the impact of PP. Four students and two community members shared personal and compelling stories.
UHPP's press release on the rally: http://readme.readmedia.com/Capitol-Region-Student-Stand-with-Planned-Parenthood-on-Day-of-Action/2218852
Fox News Coverage: http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/20261/2311616?title=local_news_videos&wpid=9616
YNN News Coverage: http://capitalregion.ynn.com/content/top_stories/537282/students-rally-to-support-planned-parenthood/
