August 03,2015

Wyden Decries Dangerous Attacks on Women's Health Services

Finance Ranking Democrat Says a Vote to Defund Planned Parenthood Paints a “Big, Red target” on Health Care for Women

WASHINGTON –Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today spoke on the Senate floor before an expected vote to remove federal funding for Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides many vital women’s health services.

Wyden’s full remarks can be found below. Video of Wyden’s remarks can be found here.

This weekend I watched the Planned Parenthood videos that are in the news, including one in which the organization’s leadership says very clearly that statements made by some of their staff are unacceptable. That’s important for everyone to hear.

With that said, here’s the enormous danger with the legislation before the Senate today. This bill paints a big, red target on some of the most basic, essential health care services for women in America.

•             Birth control – gone

•             Pregnancy tests – gone

•             Prenatal services – gone

•             HIV tests – gone

•             Breast cancer screenings – gone

•             Cervical cancer screenings – gone

•             Ovarian cancer screenings – gone

•             Vaccinations that prevent cancers – gone

•             Treatment for urinary tract infections – gone

•             Testing and treatment for sexually-transmitted infections – gone

•             Basic physical exams – gone

•             Treatment for digestive or breathing problems – gone

•             Treatment for chronic conditions – gone

•             Pediatric care – gone

•             Adoption referrals – gone

•             Nutrition programs – gone

•             Referrals to hospitals and specialists – gone

When you wipe out Planned Parenthood’s funding, you dramatically and painfully reduce women’s access to services that have absolutely nothing to do with abortion. This bill will take away the guarantee that Medicaid patients have their free choice of doctors in the program. And the people this bill will hurt the worst are poor women who have nowhere else to turn.

So I urge my colleagues to drop this misguided campaign. Instead of restricting women’s access to health care, let’s work on a bipartisan basis to improve it.

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