Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan statement on Senate Republicans’ vote to “defund” Planned Parenthood

Ann Arbor, Mich. — Today, Senate Republicans voted to “defund” Planned Parenthood as part of President Trump’s agenda. “Defunding” Planned Parenthood is a backdoor abortion ban that could put health care for 1.1 million patients at risk and force nearly 200 health centers to close nationwide.

This deeply unpopular bill passed the Senate by a razor-thin margin, with Vice President J.D. Vance stepping in to break a 50-50 tie to secure its passage. If this bill passes a second vote in the House and is signed into law, it will have devastating effects on our nation and here in Michigan.

In response, Ashlea Phenicie, Chief External Affairs Officer of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, issued the following statement:

“Today, Michigan Senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin voted to defend the health and well-being of Michiganders, and we are grateful for their effort to preserve critical health care statewide. They understand that Planned Parenthood health centers play an irreplaceable role in the public health system in Michigan and voted against the devastation this bill will cause.

Approximately a quarter of Planned Parenthood of Michigan (PPMI) patients rely on Medicaid coverage to access care at PPMI. If PPMI is “defunded” and forced out of the Medicaid program, many of those patients will have nowhere else to turn for sexual and reproductive health care – cancers will go undetected, STIs will go untreated, birth control will be harder to get, and the public health infrastructure of communities will break down.

By ‘defunding’ Planned Parenthood, the Trump administration is choosing to sacrifice the health and lives of people nationwide in service of their long-term goal to shut down Planned Parenthood and decimate abortion access nationwide. Let’s call the ‘defunding’ provision what it is: a backdoor abortion ban. While reproductive freedom is a constitutional right in Michigan, Michiganders still remain at risk of losing access. ”

Next, the bill will head back to the House of Representatives, where several Republican lawmakers, including Michigan Reps. Tom Barrett and John James, have already faced significant backlash over their vote to “defund” Planned Parenthood as part of the House version of the bill passed in May.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan will make sure Michigan’s representatives in the House understand that “defunding” Planned Parenthood means stripping their own constituents of access to lifesaving health care. 

Planned Parenthood supporters are invited to join us for two Don’t Defund Our Health Care! rallies today, Tuesday, July 1. 

• The first rally will be outside Rep. James’ office in Warren, Michigan at 3:00 pm. 

• The second rally will be held outside Rep. Barrett’s office in Lansing, Michigan at 6 p.m.

  
  

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Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan (PPAM) is the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Michigan. PPAM works in conjunction with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund at the national level, as well as our health center/education affiliate Planned Parenthood of Michigan, supporters, and patients at the state level to ensure access to reproductive health for all Michiganders.