When the details of the Republican’s mediocre replacement for Obamacare was released Monday evening, one could spot the fingerprints of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan all over it – most prominently in the provision which would defund Planned Parenthood on a national scale.
While it’s not surprising that Ryan would take this opportunity to attack, once again, the health organization that Republicans most loathe, the provision – if not the entire bill – will absolutely not survive the scrutiny of Congress.
Most expected this addition to the bill, especially because the White House went on-record earlier this week urging Planned Parenthood to stop performing abortions or face an end to their federal funds. Planned Parenthood, respecting the needs and wants of the women it helps each day, said ‘no thanks,’ and on Monday evening, the GOP’s attack on the women’s health organization was made complete.
The GOP’s war against Planned Parenthood is based on the misleading idea that the women’s healthcare provider is just a big abortion machine – despite the fact that only three percent of the services provided by PP are abortion services.
Meanwhile, a whopping 80 percent of their services are relating to preventing unwanted pregnancies by providing access to family planning, birth control, and counseling. According to the Planned Parenthood website, their efforts prevent close to 600,000 pregnancies a year while also providing extensive services in women’s health liked pap smears and breast exams.
Approximately one in five American women have visited a Planned Parenthood, but Republicans are still intent on attacking the healthcare provider simply on the basis that they give women access to abortions, a legal, constitutionally-protected procedure.
As must be always noted in this argument, thanks to the Hyde Amendment, it is already illegal to devote federal funding to abortions so the arguments Republicans have against PP are null and void. Still, attacking the organization is an easy way to win points among their base, especially as they put forth a disaster of a replacement bill.
Ryan wants to eat his cake and have it, too, and those millions of women who took to the streets just over a month ago are ready for a bit more exercise.
