WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) introduced an amendment that would alter the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 so that no funds could be stripped from the women’s health organization if a study by the Department of Health and Human Services showed that removing funding would increase abortions, HIV rates, or the rate of breast cancer.
“We already know that there is no federal funding used for abortions,” said Himes. “The funds that this bill would cut off go to Planned Parenthood’s other programs for prevention, contraception, screening, and education. It doesn’t take a huge logical leap to see that if you have less contraception, you’ll have more abortions. If you have fewer breast cancer screenings, you’ll have more women die of breast cancer. If you cut funds for STD prevention and education, you’ll have a higher HIV rate.
“The services provided by Planned Parenthood that are paid for by federal funds save lives and prevent abortions. That’s a fact I would think everyone could get behind, especially those who call themselves prolife.”