Washington, DC – Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto released the following statement today in response to House Speaker Paul Ryan’s new pledge to fast-track legislation that would defund Planned Parenthood:
“Millions of women and families depend on Planned Parenthood health centers for critical reproductive services, and this extreme ideological proposal to block Planned Parenthood funding and cut off access to those services is shameful. Congress should be focused on creating good jobs, growing our economy and strengthening the middle class – not using women’s health care as a political football. Since Republicans also want to slash funding for community health centers, they will have to explain why they want to deny so many American families affordable access to services like cancer screenings, birth control and STD testing. This is nothing short of a partisan assault on women’s access to quality and affordable healthcare, and I will continue to be vocal about my opposition to any effort to defund Planned Parenthood.”