Defund Planned Parenthood Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this brazen
assault on women's health, which would harm lower income women around
this nation.

The legislation we are debating today would mean that women with
limited health options will find it harder to secure lifesaving
services--like breast exams and pap tests. In New York alone, cutting
Planned Parenthood funding would mean that nearly 50,000 fewer breast
exams would occur. 37,000 women would no longer receive pap tests.
Millions of women nationwide would no longer have access to STI
screenings and treatments, to say nothing of additional unplanned
pregnancies.

These are just some of the critical treatments and procedures Planned
Parenthood provides--some of which save women's lives. If you want to
proclaim yourself ``pro-life'' then you should care about women's
lives--not focus on depriving them of health care services and
contraception.

Today, we have just a few legislative days left before another
Republican-fueled government shutdown. We know this misguided bill
we are debating is going nowhere. It will not pass the Senate. If it
did, the President would veto it.

Yet, House Republicans remain obsessed with attacking Planned
Parenthood and reducing women's healthcare options--to the point where
they are ready to engender another government shutdown.

We need to reject this legislation so we get back to the serious
business of governing. Support women's health care, vote no on the
bill.

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