New York officials call Senate vote to defund Planned Parenthood ‘shameful’

March 31, 2017 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle

First lady Chirlane McCray, commenting on the Senate vote that will allow states to defund Planned Parenthood, said, the Senate “just voted to drag us women back into the dark ages.” File photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

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On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate for a bill that will allow states to withhold funds for Planned Parenthood.

Statements from New York officials came quickly.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the vote “repugnant.”

“New York will not let the federal government’s backward mentality stand in the way of women receiving the critical health services they are entitled to by law,” Cuomo said. “New York will continue to be a champion for women and ensure that their rights are protected from ignorant and reckless decisions in Washington.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the vote was “shameful.”

“The GOP’s anti-woman agenda couldn’t be clearer and Vice President Pence has crowned himself its leader,” he said. “Fresh off of yesterday’s meeting on women’s issues, Vice President Pence cast a tie-breaking vote to allow the Senate to gut funding for women’s healthcare and Planned Parenthood. New York City stands with women and will safeguard the breast exams, cancer screenings, birth control and family planning they need, while proactively pushing back against the Republican anti-woman agenda.”

“The Senate, led by Vice President Pence, just voted to drag us women back into the dark ages,” said first lady Chirlane McCray.

She added, “Families need reproductive healthcare. Women need Planned Parenthood. America doesn’t need a bunch of men practicing the politics of misogyny. I hope Vice President Pence can look the women in his life in the eye and explain why their health is worth less than a man’s.”

Public Advocate Letitia James tweeted, “Shame on Congress & @VP for restricting federal funding to @PPact. NYC will continue to be a champion women and their rights.”

“Mike Pence went from yesterday’s forum on empowering women to today leading a group of male politicians in a vote to take away access to birth control and cancer screenings,” Dawn Laguens, executive VP of Planned Parenthood, said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood is one of the country’s leading providers of dependable and affordable health care for both women (and also many men), and the nation’s largest provider of sex education. Roughly 80 percent of patients receive services to prevent unintended pregnancy. The clinics perform hundreds of thousands of tests to detect cancer and millions of tests to detect sexually transmitted infections annually.

Planned Parenthood and other healthcare clinics do not receive federal money for abortion services. Clinics can only use Title X grants for non-abortion health services. Roughly 97 percent of Planned Parenthood services are not related to abortion.