41 Senate Dems oppose GOP Planned Parenthood cuts

A group of 41 Senate Democrats say they oppose a House-passed measure that cuts federal funding for family planning programs, including Planned Parenthood.

The proposal passed as an amendment to the House GOP's government funding plan and is a key element of the spending debate on Capitol Hill. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the group called the cuts "extreme."

"We write to you today to affirm our strong support for making women’s health and family planning services affordable and available, and ask that you stand with us against extreme proposals by some members of the House to eliminate support for women’s health and family planning programs and providers that serve millions of women and families," reads the letter, which was organized by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). "We also oppose the provision in the House-passed continuing resolution that cuts Planned Parenthood health centers off from federal funds."

The Republican proposal is one of several policy "riders" to the spending plan passed by the House that remains a major sticking point in negotiations between both parties.

If Democrats and Republicans cannot agree on a bill that funds the government through the end of the fiscal year by Friday, it would likely trigger a government shutdown. 

Any spending plan would need the support of 60 senators to break a potential filibuster.

Democratic leaders have insisted a bill with the riders attached would be a non-starter in the Senate, and the amount of signatures on Boxer's letter illustrate that point. Twelve members of the Senate Democratic caucus did not sign the letter. 

But Republicans are facing major pressure from conservative activists to keep the cuts intact. The anti-abortion-rights group Susan B. Anthony List released statements Monday from five potential Republican presidential candidates voicing their support for the amendment, proposed by Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.).

Several centrist GOP senators have voiced opposition to cuts to family planning programs, such as Sens. Scott Brown (Mass.), Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). But none signed the Democratic letter.

The full letter and list of signers can be found below the jump:

Dear Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell:

During this economic downturn, many women and families are struggling to make ends meet, and are relying on women’s health and family planning centers for access to essential health care services such as breast exams, other cancer and disease screenings, contraception and more.

We write to you today to affirm our strong support for making women’s health and family planning services affordable and available, and ask that you stand with us against extreme proposals by some Members of the House to eliminate support for women’s health and family planning programs and providers that serve millions of women and families.

We know the Title X family planning program serves nearly five million low-income women and men at more than 4,500 health centers each year.  Many of these people rely on Title X funded health care providers as their primary source of health care.  Yet, the House-passed Continuing Resolution would eliminate all funding for Title X and leave millions of Americans at risk.

We also oppose the provision in the House-passed Continuing Resolution that cuts Planned Parenthood health centers off from federal funds used to provide cancer screenings, birth control and other preventive health care services to three million Americans every year.

Without access to these services, many of these women will be unable to get preventive screenings, be at far greater risk for diseases such as cancer and will face more unintended pregnancies.

Protecting women’s health is a goal we can all agree on.  We urge you to stand with us against extreme proposals by some Members of the House that would harm women and their families.

Sincerely,

Senator Daniel Akaka
Senator Max Baucus
Senator Mark Begich
Senator Michael Bennet
Senator Jeff Bingaman
Senator Richard Blumenthal
Senator Sherrod Brown
Senator Barbara Boxer
Senator Maria Cantwell
Senator Ben Cardin
Senator Chris Coons
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Al Franken
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Senator Kay Hagan
Senator Tim Johnson
Senator John Kerry
Senator Amy Klobuchar
Senator Herb Kohl
Senator Mary Landrieu
Senator Frank Lautenberg
Senator Patrick Leahy
Senator Carl Levin
Senator Joe Lieberman
Senator Claire McCaskill
Senator Bob Menendez
Senator Jeff Merkley
Senator Barbara Mikulski
Senator Patty Murray
Senator Bill Nelson
Senator Jack Reed
Senator Bernie Sanders
Senator Jeanne Shaheen
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Senator Jon Tester
Senator Mark Udall
Senator Tom Udall
Senator Mark Warner
Senator Jim Webb
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Senator Ron Wyden

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