I get mail from Rep. Jay Inslee (D. Wa)

"Thank you for contacting me about the women's health issues and the District of Columbia. I appreciate hearing from you.

 

As you may know the House Appropriations Committee recently approved a spending bill to fund the District of Columbia (DC) which included language prohibiting the local D.C. government from using its own taxpayer funds to provide reproductive health services for low-income women. An amendment presented by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) attempted to remove this language but failed on a party line vote of 20-27 in the Appropriations Committee, of which I am not a member. I am committed to defending a women's right to choice and will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind as we continue through the legislative process. 

 

Like you, I support increasing the funding for Title X.  I am a lifetime advocate of family planning.  You may be surprised to learn that nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended.  Effective family planning programs which include reproductive education, counseling, and contraception clearly reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in our country.

 

Let me assure you, I will strongly support both domestic and international family planning programs in Congress. I will do everything I can to oppose anti-choice policies that get in the way of essential health care."

 Half of all pregnancies in the US are unintended?  Guttmacher Institute seems to agree.  I didn't know that.  Not surprisingly they report that 54% of unplanned pregnancies end in abortion.  It is not just ironic but sad and distressing that republican legislators all across the country are cutting funding for planned parenthood.  There is NO organization or group in America that does a better job, disbursing birth control, and family planning information.  The unintended results of the republicans war on Planned Parenthood will be a significant increase in abortions.   Once again the party of small government is writing legislation that tells local communities how to spend their own money, or in this case not spend money for women's reproductive healthcare.