Senator Krueger Raises Alarm on Threat to Women’s Rights and Rallies Colleagues Around Support for Planned Parenthood

For Immediate Release | February 16, 2011

Katie Kincaid | kincaid.nysenate@gmail.com | 646-784-0485

(New York, NY) With mounting evidence that Congress is embarking on a crusade against women’s reproductive rights, including efforts to shut down Planned Parenthood, Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) is working with Senate leadership and advocates to build a coalition in support of Planned Parenthood and against anti-choice legislation.

As a sign of unity, Senator Krueger gathered 22 of her colleagues to sign a letter to Speaker Boehner calling for him to drop his war against Planned Parenthood and women’s reproductive health.

“What we are seeing right now is an all out assault on women and women’s rights,” said Senator Krueger. “As Congress moves more and more towards the political right we’re witnessing a barrage of attacks that cannot be ignored. This may be a Federal issue for now, but the writing on the wall is clear: the next stop is the State level. We must unite and speak up now to show that this blatant disregard for women’s health should not be accepted on the Federal level and will not be accepted in New York.”

Currently, proposed legislation, including Rep. Mike Pence’s (R-IN) H.R. 217, would result in millions of women losing their primary and preventive health care by denying organizations like Planned Parenthood access to Title X funding. Without Title X funding, which is the only source of Federal funds dedicated solely to family planning and reproductive health, there would be little ability for Planned Parenthood to provide basic services such as pelvic exams, breast exams, safe-sex counseling, access to contraceptives and basic infertility counseling.

“We are suddenly finding ourselves fighting for the same rights we fought to secure 30 years ago. Not all women may remember the time when there was no coverage for reproductive health. But let me assure you, it’s not a time we want to revisit. We can no longer assume that what we’ve come to take as basic rights will be protected by others. As mothers, grandmothers, husbands and fathers we must come together to show that we will not move back in time and forfeit our rights.”

On Saturday, February 26th, Senator Krueger will join Planned Parenthood, Family Planning Advocates and host of other advocacy groups and elected officials at Foley Square to stand up for women’s health. For more information on the “Stand Up For Women’s Health Rally” please contact Senator Krueger’s office at: (212) 490-9535.