Op-Ed
Cecile Richards: Rep. Stupak Blocking Health Care Reform
Author: Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Published on Mar 20, 2010 - 7:29:40 AM

Mar. 20, 2010 - "As Congress is on the verge of passing historic health care reform that will benefit all Americans, Rep. Bart Stupak insists on holding the health care bill hostage to achieve his narrow aims.

"Health care reform should not come down to one man telling tens of millions women that they can't have the health care they need.

"Fortunately, there is growing support for passing the health care reform bill.

"Leading figures in the Roman Catholic community agree that the health care bill clearly prohibits federal funding of abortion. In the last several days, the Catholic Health Association, religious orders representing nearly 60,000 Catholic nuns, the National Catholic Reporter and several members of Congress who oppose federal funding of abortion, have announced their support for the current health care reform bill.

"Planned Parenthood believes that the bill goes far beyond banning federal funding of abortion, and thus Planned Parenthood opposes the Nelson abortion provision and demands that it be fixed, even as we believe the time is now to fix our broken health care system.

"Unfortunately, Congressman Stupak continues to use every mechanism available to block the health care reform bill unless the Stupak abortion coverage ban is adopted. Analysts have concluded that the Stupak abortion coverage ban would lead to the elimination of private health insurance coverage of abortion and result in women losing benefits they currently have.

"Moreover, Stupak's misleading attacks will bring down the health care reform bill, deny tens of millions of Americans health care coverage and scuttle the decades-old goal of achieving affordable, quality health coverage for all.

"Planned Parenthood calls on Rep. Bart Stupak to stop playing politics with the health care of millions of Americans, and to stop holding the health care reform bill hostage. It also calls on the leaders of Congress to remain steadfast in their pledge not to allow Congressman Stupak to either pass his ban or kill health care reform."

Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved. Planned Parenthood affiliates operate more than 840 health centers nationwide, providing medical services and sexuality education for millions of women, men, and teenagers each year. We also work with allies worldwide to ensure that all women and men have the right and the means to meet their sexual and reproductive health care needs.

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