The Senate passed the health care reform bill on December 24th. Planned Parenthood Votes! Washington will continue to make sure women in Washington State aren’t worse off after health care reform than they are today.
Check out our new TV ad on the abortion coverage ban:
Read an editorial on the political blog, Publicola, from Dana Laurent, our Political Director, on the House and Senate health care reform bills, and Planned Parenthood Votes! Washington’s efforts on health care reform.
Here, Elaine Rose, CEO for PPVW, comments on Senator Lisa Brown’s support for the Senate bill.
The road to health care reform...Here’s what you can do:
December 24, 2009 - The Senate passed the health care reform bill. Planned Parenthood will fight the abortion access obstacle during conference in January. Learn more about the bill here.
Planned Parenthood believes that all Americans should be guaranteed access to quality, affordable health care.
The road to health care reform:
December 19, 2009 - Planned Parenthood opposes the new abortion language offered by Senator Nelson in the manager's amendment. Last week, the Senate rejected harsh restrictions on abortion coverage and it is a sad day when women's health is traded away for one vote. The amendment creates an unworkable system that leaves tens of millions of women without abortion coverage. Learn more.
December 8, 2009 - Great news! The Senate voted on the anti-choice Nelson/Hatch amendment to health care reform, and we won. Unlike the Stupak amendment that passed the House of Representatives, this amendment did not pass the Senate. Find out how your senator voted.
December 2, 2009 - Planned Parenthood activists and the Coalition to Pass Health Care Reform and Stop Stupak! lobbied members of Congress to ensure comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion, is covered in health care reform. More than 35,000 e-mails were delivered to the Senate.
November 10, 2009 - Understanding Stupak-Pitts. In order to help you better understand the impact of the Stupak-Pitts amendment on health care reform and women's access to abortion care, view the following links:
November 8, 2009 - Congress passed a bill that will undercut women’s access to comprehensive health care. Despite hundreds of thousands of voters like you and me who called on members of Congress to include women’s health care in health care reform, the bill that passed last night includes a ban on private abortion coverage for millions of women and would prohibit it in the new "public option." To learn more, read the statement from Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood.
Opponents of legal abortion and health care for women are emboldened by the House vote and are ready to bring their ban on abortion to the Senate floor. It’s time to use our strongest weapon: the White House.
We are calling on President Obama to ensure that lawmakers support health care reform that protects women's access to reproductive care.
President Obama campaigned on a promise to put reproductive health care at the center of his reform plan. Supporters of women's health voted for him and contributed to his campaign in record numbers - and now it's time for the president to reaffirm his commitment to women’s health, and demand that Congress reject any bill that leaves women worse off under health care reform than they are today.
Votes! Voices
Votes! Voices, is a weekly conversation about news, politics and happenings from Planned Parenthood Votes! Washington
January 19, 2010
From Jen in Olympia
The 2010 legislative session began Monday, January 11th here in Olympia and the big issue on everyone’s mind is, of course, the budget crisis Washington faces as a result of the national economic recession.
There are so many critical programs in jeopardy - including funding for basic family planning services - making it clear that our state needs a new solution. While we're grateful to the governor for releasing a budget yesterday that includes new revenue and protects some critical programs like Maternity Support Services and Basic Health, her budget is just the beginning. Unfortunately that budget does not fix the family planning funding crisis, and it does not include enough revenue to maintain family planning or other core public systems that support our state's families and economic future. We’re advocating with our friends in the legislature for not only cuts and reforms, but also new revenue that is sufficient to maintain the life-saving (and cost-saving) safety net services and that reflect our shared values.
In addition to the positive steps being taken to address our Washington's economic future, there are some forward-thinking bills on the move which will protect the health of Washingtonians:
1) With our coalition partners, we’re working to pass a bill to protect women's health at limited service pregnancy centers, House Bill 2837 / Senate Bill 6452. Limited service pregnancy centers are non-profit organizations - not medical clinics - that typically offer free pregnancy tests, "pregnancy options counseling," ultrasound imaging, some free baby items and referrals to adoption and social services. They are usually operated with a religious affiliation by volunteers, and are opposed to abortion and most forms of birth control. Some call themselves "clinics," but most provide no medical care other than free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds without medical diagnosis. Women who have sought help from such centers have gone there believing they were going to receive medical care and unbiased pregnancy options counseling from licensed professionals. Instead, they often received false or misleading information about abortion, pregnancy, contraception, or sexually transmitted infections, had their requested medical records withheld, and were denied needed referrals for reproductive health care. There are at least 46 such centers operating in Washington State.
House Bill 2837 and Senate Bill 6452 protect women’s health by improving accuracy, transparency and privacy at limited service pregnancy centers.
2) As a steering committee member of the Toxic Free Legacy Coalition, we’re supporting a bill which would ban Bisphenol-A - or BPA - from baby bottles and child food containers, House Bill 1180 / Senate Bill 6248. BPA mimics estrogen and the chemical has been linked to reproductive harm including early onset of puberty in females and reduced sperm count in males.
December 24, 2009 - The Senate passed the health care reform bill. Planned Parenthood will fight the abortion access obstacle during conference in January. Learn more about the bill 