Planned Parenthood ads target lawmakers over defunding votes

The Planned Parenthood Action Fund on Tuesday launched radio ads targeting eight members of Congress who voted to cut federal funding for the organization.

The ads target seven Republicans in competitive districts and one Democrat, Rep. Mark Critz (Pa.). The House voted 241-185 last week to cut federal preventive healthcare funding for the nation's largest abortion provider, but the bill died in the Senate.

The organization says 90 percent of the care it provides to 3 million women every year is preventive. The new radio ads feature a woman who says she might not have been able to stay healthy enough to have a son without medications provided by Planned Parenthood.

The seven Republicans targeted by the ads are: Reps. Mike Fitzpatrick and Pat Meehan (Pa.); Reps. Joe Walsh and Randy Hultgren (Ill.); Rep. Allen West (Fla.); Rep. Frank Guinta (N.H.); and Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (N.Y.).

Funding for Planned Parenthood had been a sticking point in negotiations over a government funding agreement for the remainder of 2011.

Votes in both the House and Senate on the group's funding were a condition of the agreement reached by the White House and Capitol Hill.

The Senate defeated the measure by a 42 to 58 vote; it would have required 60 votes to pass.

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