Politics & Government
Congress Votes to Cut All Funding for Planned Parenthood
Bed-Stuy opines on the move to eliminate family planning services
Last Friday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed legislation which, if voted through by the Senate, would cut all funding for family planning programs, known as Title X (Title Ten).
Eliminating Title X would strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood, cutting money for contraceptives, HIV tests, breast and cervical cancer screenings, annual exams and many other reproductive health and family planning services.
“Central Brooklyn already faces great health disparities, including higher rates of STD transmission, higher rates of teen pregnancy, and less access to good health care,” said Joan Malin, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood New York (PPNYC). “Planned Parenthood is the only place for many poor and working women to turn to receive basic health care."
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According to the New York Department of Health, Ms. Malin said, 800,000 women would be cut off from essential services if the bill passes in the Senate.
"Planned Parenthood provides comprehensive health services to women across the country, and has been safely doing so for decades,” said Congressman Ed Towns, who represents Bed-Stuy. “Title X also provided millions of cancer screenings and HIV tests in 2009 alone. This is fundamentally an access issue, and a fairness issue."
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Anabel Belo, 20, works in Bed-Stuy and lives in Brooklyn. “It’s definitely a bad decision,” she said about the funding cuts. “Without educating women about family planning, how can they make smart choices?”
The bill has passed in the House, but it must pass in a Democratic-controlled Senate before it can be made into law.
"The last thing residents of Bedford-Stuyvesant need are fewer resources, and fewer places to go for essential, lifesaving care. Unfortunately, if this bill passes, that’s exactly what will happen,” Malin said.
How do you feel about the move in Congress to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood? If you have an opinion, let us know here.
Also, you can call New York Senator Chuck Schumer at: 202-224-7433, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at (202) 224-4451, and let them both know how you feel.
