Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Opposes Senate Repeal Bill

Demands Senate Reject Worst Bill for Women’s Health in a Generation

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin strongly opposes the newly released Senate version of the American Health Care Act.

This bill is the worst bill for women in a generation. In addition to dismantling the Medicaid program and preventing Planned Parenthood from providing care to Medicaid enrollees, the bill guts Essential Health Benefit protections, including maternity coverage and prescription drugs. Under this bill, Thirteen million women could lose coverage to maternity care. This bill would disproportionately impact women who already face unfair barriers to care, including low-income women and women of color.

Planned Parenthood supporters have been a driving force mobilizing against this dangerous bill. For months, an army of Planned Parenthood patients, supporters, and advocates have held protest rallies, spoken out at Congressional town halls, called their members of Congress, delivered petitions to Congressional offices, and hosted health care hearings.

Since January, Planned Parenthood supporters have:

• made more than 157,429 phone calls to members of Congress
• organized more than 2,200 events across the country, including rallies, petition drops, phone banks and marches
• delivered close to 1 million petitions to members of Congress in opposition to “defunding” Planned Parenthood.

Statement from Nicole Safar, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin:

“When we say that this bill is the worst for women in a generation, we mean it would kick Planned Parenthood out of the Medicaid program, gut maternity coverage, strip millions of their health insurance, force new moms back to work right after giving birth, and reduce access to birth control. In short, this bill makes it harder to prevent unintended pregnancy, harder to have a healthy pregnancy, and harder to raise a family.

“Now is the time for every person who cares about women’s health and access to affordable quality care to speak out and join this fight. It’s clear that the American people strongly oppose blocking women from going to Planned Parenthood for preventive care. We must get louder than ever so our elected officials cannot ignore our voices in this fight.

Just last night, supporters across the country, including those in Green Bay and Madison, joined together to proudly stand with Planned Parenthood by demand the Senate protect access to essential health care. One in five women in this country has been a patient of Planned Parenthood. They are demanding that the Senate reject this bill and keep Planned Parenthood’s doors open.”