(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray
promised to fight Republican demands to include an ideologically driven
provision in ongoing budget negotiations that would strip federal support for women’s health and family planning
programs. In a speech to women’s health advocates, Murray said that she
would oppose any budget that includes the Republicans’ extreme policy “riders”
that would block patients’ access to lifesaving cancer screenings, family
planning services for low-income women, resources for prenatal care, and
Planned Parenthood clinics.
The speech came at a rally sponsored by Planned
Parenthood and NARAL that included thousands of advocates for women’s health
care who flew in from across the country to join efforts to block the extreme
proposal. Earlier this week Senator Murray joined with a total of 41 Senators
to send a letter
pledging to block Republican’s efforts to cut off support for women’s
health care.
The full text of Senator Murray’s speech follows:
Thank you! Now this is what a real rally looks like!
I’m here today, like all of you, to speak with one
voice, for one reason, to deliver one message:
And that’s that no budget that cuts funding for
women’s health care is going to make it out of that building behind me.
This is too important. There is too much on the line.
And there are too many of you who are going to stand up for women all across
this country.
I have been overwhelmed by the unified response from
all of you to this extreme proposal.
I know that in my state alone Planned Parenthood
organizers collected over 45,000 signatures in opposition to this rider.
And just the other day I posted a message on my
Facebook page saying that I would be speaking at this rally and if anyone had a
story about their personal experience with Planned Parenthood, I would try and
include it.
Again the support and stories poured in.
But one story – from a woman named Maggie – really
struck me. She told me that when she was 18 years old she moved out because her
home situation was very abusive. But when she left home she had no money and no
access to health care.
Luckily for Maggie, Planned Parenthood was there for
her with medication and regular checkups she needed because cervical cancer ran
in her family. Care like that – and people like Maggie – are what and who are
at stake here today.
You know all throughout this budget debate, and even
back through the last election – Republicans have made big promises about just
what it was they came to D.C. to do.
They said they wanted to come here to create jobs,
reduce the deficit, even work with us. But it turns out that’s not true at all.
It turns out what they really came to D.C. for was
more about ideology than our economy.
It turns out, that when push comes to shove, their
real target isn’t unemployment – it’s Planned Parenthood.
It turns out they’d rather jeopardize women’s health
then jeopardize their standing among the most extreme in their party.
It turns out what they really came here to do is to
threaten your reproductive rights.
But I’ll tell you what – I am not going to stand by
and watch.
I’m not going to stand by as Republicans try to make
lifesaving cancer screenings a thing of the past.
I’m not going to stand by as Republicans try to turn
our back on low-income women with nowhere to go for family planning services.
I’m not going to stand by as Republicans try to take
away resources for prenatal care.
I’m not going to stand by as Republicans try to blocks
patients’ access to Planned Parenthood health centers that help millions of
women and families every year.
And clearly you’re not ready to roll over either.
So, together, today, as one…
It’s more important than ever we tell them we’re not
going to budge.
We won’t allow ideology to come before women’s health
care.
And we won’t allow them to defund Planned Parenthood
and dismantle progress in our country.
So, walk the halls of Congress proudly today, get your
friends involved. Raise your voices and raise awareness. Because you will make
the difference.
Thank you so much.
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