It hasn't even been a year since ideologues in Congress almost shut down the government in their attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, eliminate family planning programs, and slash funding for a number of programs only women need.
Men and women across America stood up and successfully defended our fundamental rights, but now anti-choice zealots are back at it, trying to sneak an unprecedented number of cuts to vital services for women into the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) Funding Bill. They want to:
*Defund Planned Parenthood
*Eliminate the Title X family planning program
*Allow any healthcare provider to refuse life-saving abortion care services without penalty
We've defeated these measures before, but this bill is moving through Congress fast, so we need to take action immediately.
Tell your representative to reject anti-choice cuts to family planning, life-saving abortions and other vital reproductive health services.
Dear [Representative],
Please stand up for my rights.
I'm writing to ask that you reject funding cuts attached to riders in the Labor, Health, and Human Services Funding bill that target vital programs providing health services to poor women, pregnant women, children, and infants.
[Your comments will be added here]I urge you to oppose the egregious cuts eliminating funds for Title X, the federal family planning program for low-income women that provides birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and testing for H.I.V. and other sexually transmitted diseases. The riders would also defund Planned Parenthood despite its critical role in providing much needed contraception, health, and cancer screenings, and other important services to millions of low-income women and families.
Adding insult to injury, riders in the bill also prohibit abortion coverage in health plans sold through the health insurance exchanges and codify the Hyde Amendment banning federal funding for abortion services. These actions will drastically affect a woman's ability to make decisions about childbearing, and they will choke off access to medical services necessary to lead a healthy life.
It's clear that Congress has nothing but contempt for the needs of women and families. These cuts are reckless and would eliminate vital services. I urge you to reject these riders in the HHS bill and stand up for the rights of women.
