| Sinator Vitter introduced an amendment to the 2009 Omnibus Budget that is being considered in the Senate. Of course, since he's running for re-election, he's hitting a conservative hot button issue, (which is all he seems to do these days), family planning services.
Here's the text of the amendment:
SA 601. Mr. VITTER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1105 , making omnibus appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
Sec. __. None of the funds appropriated under this Act shall be made available to Planned Parenthood for any purpose under title X of the Public Health Service Act.
First, Title X is the only federal grant program dedicated solely to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. The Title X program is designed to provide access to contraceptive services, supplies and information to all who want and need them. By law, priority is given to persons from low-income families.
Now, other than the fact that Sinator Vitter is running for re-election next year, why is he singling out Planned Parenthood in his amendment?
Could it be that most anti-choice/pro-life advocates in this country believe that the only thing Planned Parenthood provides is abortion services?
Yes, Planned Parenthood provides abortions to women who choose to exercise that constitutionally protected right. But unlike what anti-choice/pro-life lobby tells you, abortion services only account for three percent of Planned Parenthood's services. As the nation's largest family planning and reproductive health services provider, they offer way more than that:
Planned Parenthood health centers focus on prevention: 82 percent of our clients receive services to prevent unintended pregnancy.
Planned Parenthood services help prevent more than 621,000 unintended pregnancies each year.
Planned Parenthood provides nearly one million Pap tests and more than 850,000 breast exams each year, critical services in detecting cancer.
Planned Parenthood provides more than 3.3 million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, each year.
But that's getting away from the point ... federal funds are not allowed to be used to provide abortion services. PERIOD.
The federal money that Planned Parenthood receives goes to providing reproductive health services and family planning services for women who need them. And Sinator Vitter, that paragon of personal morality, wants to keep Planned Parenthood from offering those services - pap smears, breast exams, tests and treatments for STD's, birth control, condoms - to the men and women who need them.
If you're outraged, call your Senator, and tell to vote NAY on Sinator Vitter's amendment (it's SA 601). If you're from Louisiana, call the Sinator's office, and tell 'em that the Sinator is wrong on this issue ... all women, regardless of socioeconomic status, deserve family planning and reproductive health services. |
