Keep women's health a priority!!!

Gooooooood morning, VOXers!

So...I received a rather troubling e-mail a few days ago from PPFA (Planned Parenthood Federation of America) about an attack by anti-choice Sen Orrin Hatch on an amendment to the Senate HELP committee health care reform bill. This Women's Health Amendment, proposed by Sen. Barbara Mikulski and passed several days ago, will ensure coverage for preventive medical care like cancer screenings, contraception, pap tests, HIV screenings and other essential preventive medical services. The amendment ensures that women will be able to seek care, and have that care covered, from "essential community providers," a category under which Planned Parenthood falls....sounds great right? I mean, why would anyone NOT want essential preventive care included as a part of comprehensive health care reform? Wellll...Sen. Orrin Hatch, along with other Republicans in the Senate, have publicly attacked the amendment, accusing it of "forc[ing] private insurance companies to pay for abortions..." This accusation is false, and is an attempt to advance his anti-choice agenda with disregard to the need for the preventive medical services provided for in the Women's Health Amendment. The truth is, the amendment would do no such thing...it would not mandate coverage of abortion, but rather of medically appropriate and necessary preventive care. The preventive medical services included in this amendment that PP, and other "essential community providers" like it provide are an integral and vital component of health care for women. I am appalled that Sen. Hatch and others would attempt to advance his own political agenda in this way at the expense of women's health.

Click here to tell Senator Hatch you won't stand for it!

Alrighty, I hope you're all enjoying the GORGEOUS weather... I know I can't wait to get outside and soak up some sun :) And for all you Harry Potter fans out there...get excited! (And no, I am not ashamed to admit I'm still a big Harry Potter geek, even at this age...)

xoxo,

Sarah