Statement on Passage of Bill Defunding Planned Parenthood

Lansing – Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Michigan released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Mike Pence’s amendment to bar Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds for any purpose, including providing basic primary and lifesaving preventative health care to women and families. Pence offered the amendment to the FY11 Continuing Resolution, which completely eliminates the national family planning program Title X.
 

“Today’s vote represents the most devastating legislative assault on women’s health in American history.

For Michigan, the impact of eliminating the federal family planning program, Title X, and barring Planned Parenthood from any federal funding would mean losing nearly $8 million to provide lifesaving preventative care at 28 health centers across the state.
 

These health centers provide lifesaving preventative care every day of the week to nearly 125,000 of our state’s women, men and teens that would otherwise not be able to afford or access the treatment and care they need. 
 

This move won’t save a single dollar. In fact, family planning programs like Title X are some of the most fiscally sound investments we can make. For every public dollar we spend on family planning, Michigan taxpayers save nearly $6.47. In 2008, Michigan’s family planning program saved an estimated $74 million in Medicaid spending.
 

Eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood won’t reduce abortions, either. The truth is that 97 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services are preventative health care, including cancer screenings, annual exams and birth control. Title X dollars cannot be used to pay for abortions, but at the same time, Title X services prevent nearly one million unintended pregnancies each year – almost half of which would otherwise end in abortion.
 
Recent polls show that over two thirds of all voters disagree with the bills restricting federal funding for family planning services. Clearly, this attack on women’s health is out of step with American values, won’t save money, and won’t reduce abortions.
 
What these bills will do is stop women across Michigan from accessing basic primary and preventative health care. These bills will lead to more women going untreated, and there will be more undetected cancers, resulting in many more women dying needlessly.
 
Now, it’s up to our U.S. Senators to band together and reject this extreme approach and guarantee that Planned Parenthood and the men, women and teens in Michigan who rely on our services are protected.”