Planned Parenthood Demands Senate Stop Trying to Take Away Health Care

Washington, DC — The Senate has just posted bill text that repeals the Affordable Care Act. The text largely mirrors the 2015 legislation to repeal Obamacare — a bill that would take away health care from 32 million people and prevent millions from going to Planned Parenthood health centers for basic, preventive care.

This bill is even worse than the original 2015 legislation and adds a new provision. It imposes a nationwide ban on private insurance coverage of abortion, a provision that was not in the 2015 legislation but is in the Better Care Reconciliation Act.

In addition, the newly released CBO score affirms that the “defunding” provision in Trumpcare singles out Planned Parenthood. The CBO score also affirms that 32 million people would lose coverage and premiums would double.

Experts agree that the “defund” Planned Parenthood provision is a violation of the Byrd Rule because it is politically motivated policy. It has no place on reconciliation because it violates these rules, and it has no place on any legislation because it is the epitome of a mean-spirited policy that hurts millions of women.

Sen. Mitch McConnell has announced the Senate will vote on this bill next week. Planned Parenthood demands the Senate listen to the American people and reject this bill.   

Statement from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

This latest version of Trumpcare is just more of the same disaster: eliminating insurance coverage for millions and blocking women’s access to birth control and cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood. This is, hands down, the worst bill for women in a generation.

“Every version of Trumpcare has been devastating to women. And at every step of the process, Republican leaders have chipped away at women’s health and rights.

“The American people have made it clear time and time again that they will not stand to see Trumpcare passed into law. That’s why since day one of this fight, people across the country have been tirelessly organizing, making calls to Congress, attending townhalls, and hosting rallies to protect women’s access to health care.

“Apparently stripping 22 million people from their health care is not extreme enough -- Senator McConnell now wants to vote on a bill that’s even worse. It would take away health care from 32 million Americans, double the cost of premiums, and block people on Medicaid from accessing preventive care at Planned Parenthood. In this latest version of Trumpcare, the price for women is just as high.

“The newly released CBO score reaffirms what we knew: Trumpcare is heartless and singles out Planned Parenthood, blocking millions of women from preventive care.

“It’s time for the Senate to listen to the American people and stop trying to take away health care and block millions from going to Planned Parenthood for preventive care. The Senate must reject this bill.

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FACT: Experts agree that the provision to block people on Medicaid from accessing preventive care at Planned Parenthood is a violation of the Byrd rule. And there is broad consensus that it should not be in the reconciliation bill that repeals the Affordable Care Act.

• Newsweek: A senior Republican Senate aide conceded Thursday that the authors of the bill are unsure if the Planned Parenthood provision will pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian, a nonpartisan official who has the power to deny the majority's bid to consider the rules under reconciliation.

• Axios: Planned Parenthood and abortion: Collins won't support the bill's provisions to prohibit federal funding from going to insurance plans that cover abortion and to defund Planned Parenthood. McConnell's best hope might be that the parliamentarian axes them and Cruz accepts the decision.

• CNN: The House bill prohibits federal funding for Planned Parenthood for a year. This is a major issue for Sens. Collins and Lisa Murkowski — a potential deal-breaker for both — who oppose limiting funds for the group. But there's a chance it's something Senate GOP leaders may not have to grapple with at all. Many aides believe the Senate Parliamentarian will strike this provision down on Byrd Rule grounds.

FACT: Planned Parenthood grassroots organizing has been a driving force in opposing Trumpcare and efforts to “defund” Planned Parenthood. For months, an army of pink-clad Planned Parenthood patients, supporters, and advocates have taken thousands of actions from coast to coast including protest rallies, speaking out at Congressional town halls, calling their members of Congress, delivering petitions to Congressional offices, and hosting field hearings.

Over the last several months, Planned Parenthood supporters have:

• Made more than 180,000 phone calls to members of Congress

• Organized more than 2,200 events across the country, including rallies, petition drops, phone banks, and marches

• Delivered over 1 million petition signatures to members of Congress in opposition to  “defunding” Planned Parenthood.

FACT: A bipartisan majority of Americans support Planned Parenthood and oppose “defunding.”

• A Quinnipiac poll shows that 80 percent of voters, including 67 percent of Republicans, oppose efforts to block people from getting care at Planned Parenthood.

• The Senate health care repeal bill is the most unpopular bill in three decades and the provision blocking women from Planned Parenthood is one of the most unpopular parts – with 80 percent of voters, including 67 percent of Republicans, opposing.  

• NBC News/WSJ poll shows that only 12 percent of voters in “Trump” counties support the House version of Trumpcare. 41 percent said it was a “bad idea.” (NBC News/WSJ polled 439 counties where Trump either significantly outperformed Mitt Romney’s vote in 2012 or flipped the vote from President Barack Obama. In these counties, Trump’s job approval rating stands at 50 percent — about 10 points higher than in most national polls).

 

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood affiliates serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.