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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Sets the Record Straight in the 7th Congressional District
In various debates and interviews, Senator Lance has struggled to explain his positions on family planning funding and why he joined only six other Senators in opposing a bill that would ensure women are able to get their prescriptions filled at local pharmacies.
Senator Lance says . . . “his opposition [to the pharmacy refusal bill] was not based on a belief that a pharmacist should be able to deny customers birth control, but that a small, mom and pop pharmacy should have the option not to carry RU-486, popularly known as the “abortion pill.” (
FACT: In
Senator Lance says . . . “My position is that if a small mom and pop pharmacy does not want to carry the abortion pill, they should not have to.” (Politicker NJ, October 8, 2008)
FACT: A mom and pop pharmacy not only does not have to carry the abortion pill but all pharmacies are prohibited by law from doing so.
Senator Lance says . . . the pharmacy refusal bill “did not concern birth control.” (Star Ledger, October 12, 2008)
FACT: The pharmacy refusal law only concerns birth control. This bill simply ensures that women are able to get their prescriptions for birth control filled at local pharmacies.
Senator Lance says . . . he “fought for funding in our state budgets for Planned Parenthood.” (Star Ledger, October 12, 2008)
FACT: Senator Lance has supported past state budgets that have included funding for family planning services in
Senator Lance says . . . he “would never force a doctor or a hospital to be involved in an abortion if that were not the views of the doctor or the hospital.” (Star Ledger, October 12, 2008)
FACT: Both state and federal law explicitly prohibit a doctor or hospital from being forced to provide abortion or sterilization services if contrary to their religious or moral beliefs.
October 13, 2008 Hon. Leonard Lance Dear Senator Lance: I am writing to clarify several points you made in yesterday’s Star Ledger article, “Contenders call for backup in the 7th District”, October 12, 2008. First, you stated that the pharmacy refusal bill “did not concern birth control”. You also stated in last week’s Politicker NJ story that you were opposed to this bill because you believed that pharmacies should not be forced to carry RU-486 or the abortion pill. This is completely and factually incorrect. This legislation only concerns birth control. In Second, you stated that you “fought for funding in our state budgets for Planned Parenthood”. While we certainly appreciate your past support for our services, we were completely surprised and disappointed by your proposal to cut state funding for family planning services by almost 40% in the FY09 Republican budget proposal. We wrote to you on June 12, 2008 outlining our concern about these cuts and highlighting the cost savings of family planning services. As we stated in that letter, this is a short sighted approach to balancing the state budget that will cost Third, you stated that you “would never force a doctor or a hospital to be involved in an abortion if that were not the views of the doctor or the hospital.” However both state and federal law explicitly prohibit a doctor or hospital from being forced to provide an abortion and the pharmacy refusal law is not related to this issue. These laws, called conscience clauses, allow a provider to refuse to provide abortion or sterilization services if contrary to their religious or moral beliefs. While we do appreciate your support on some of our past issues, we are greatly concerned about the factual inaccuracies and confusion surrounding your positions on As always, we will make ourselves available at anytime if you or your staff have any questions about reproductive health care issues. With best wishes, Michele Jaker Executive Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 23, 2008 Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Endorses Linda Stender for Congress Group Sets the Record Straight on Leonard Lance’s Anti-Choice Record Trenton, NJ — The Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAF-NJ) today announced their support of Assemblywoman Linda Stender in her race to represent “This year, we have a real chance to elect a strong, qualified, intelligent woman who is committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose, ensuring access to family planning services, and standing up to those in Washington want to overturn Roe v. Wade,” said Jackie Cornell, a spokeswoman for the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey. “Assemblywoman Linda Stender has a proven record of improving and protecting reproductive health care services. In The group also called for Senator Leonard Lance to stop calling himself pro-choice as his record shows just the opposite. During his seventeen years in the New Jersey Legislature, Senator Lance aligned himself with the anti-choice extremists time and time again. In fact, Senator Lance was one of only six New Jersey Senators to oppose Linda’s bill that ensures women are able to get their prescriptions filled at local pharmacies. He was also a prime architect of the Republican budget plan that called for slashing family planning services, that if successful, would have left thousands of women in “Senator Lance never misses a chance to call himself pro-choice, but he fails to mention his long record of voting against reproductive health care and a woman’s right to choose. I don’t know how someone can call themselves pro-choice but then join with the most extreme anti-choice zealots in opposing a common sense measures like protecting access to birth control at pharmacies or ensuring women have access to family planning services,” said Cornell.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 23, 2008 Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Endorses Senator Frank Lautenberg
Trenton, NJ — The Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAF-NJ) today announced its endorsement of Senator Frank Lautenberg for U.S. Senate. “Planned Parenthood is proud to stand with Frank Lautenberg during this campaign,” said Michele Jaker, Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey. “Senator Lautenberg has a proven record of improving and protecting reproductive health care services. Time and time again we have relied on Senator Lautenberg to stand up for Planned Parenthood and now its time for Planned Parenthood to stand up for Senator Lautenberg.” During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Frank Lautenberg has been a champion of comprehensive sex education. He helped write the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act, which authorizes federal funds for states to offer comprehensive and medically accurate sexual education in their schools. Senator Lautenberg has also led the fight to reduce funding for dangerously ineffective federal abstience-only programs. Senator Lautenberg has provided leadership on many important reproductive health care issues. He introduced the Access to Birth Control (ABC) Act, which similar to “Dick Zimmer says he is pro-choice but his record and positions show just the opposite. The fact is that Dick Zimmer would join with anti-choice extremists in Congress to impose obstacles and barriers to reproductive rights,” said Jaker. “On the other hand, there has been no stronger advocate for our mission in the U.S. Senate than Senator Lautenberg and he alone deserves our endorsement.” Senator Frank Lautenberg has a 100% pro-choice score on the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Congressional Scorecard.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2008 Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Endorses Josh Zeitz for Congress Trenton, NJ — The Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAF-NJ) yesterday announced their support of Josh Zeitz in his race to unseat anti-choice zealot Congressman Chris Smith to represent “This year, we have a real chance to replace a rabidly anti-choice Congressman with a strong, qualified, intelligent candidate who is committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose, ensuring access to family planning services, and standing up to those in Washington who want to overturn Roe v. Wade,” said Planned Parenthood Action Fund of NJ Executive Director Michele Jaker. “Josh Zeitz stands in stark contrast to Congressman Chris Smith on protecting women’s health care. Josh understands that women have a right to affordable, accessible birth control and all New Jerseyans have the right to access family planning and reproductive health care services,” said Jaker, “On the other hand, Congressman Smith has spent his many years in Congress crusading against basic birth control. He has sponsored 22 different bills that would make most mainstream forms of birth control, like the IUD and common birth control pills, illegal.”
“We worked tirelessly at the state level to pass laws that guarantee insurance companies will cover birth control as they do any other prescription drugs, laws that make certain survivors of sexual assault have access to emergency contraception when they seek treatment in emergency rooms and laws that ensure women are able to fill their prescriptions without discrimination or unnecessary delay. Congressman Smith has introduced legislation prohibiting the federal employee health care plan from covering basic birth control and, just last week, his friends in the Bush Administration were planning to gut all three of New Jersey’s state laws through federal regulations,” said Jaker, “With Josh Zeitz in Congress, the Fourth Congressional District would finally have a representative that respected women and reproductive health care and accurately represented a majority of New Jerseyans on these issues.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ratifies Endorsement of Barack Obama ( The Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the political and advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood, and similar local Planned Parenthood action organizations across the country represent the interests of millions of women in this country who are looking for a leader in the White House that will support quality, affordable healthcare for women. PPAF-NJ believes that leader is Senator Barack Obama. “Senator Barack Obama has a long and consistent record for standing up for women’s health care,” said Michele Jaker, Executive Director of PPAF-NJ. “Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey enthusiastically votes to ratify the recommendation to endorse Barack Obama for President of the The Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and state and local Planned Parenthood action funds have also been educating voters about John McCain’s anti-women’s health care record and zero percent voting record from Planned Parenthood. In 25 years in Recent polling by Hart Research shows that Planned Parenthood is a trusted messenger of information on health care issues, and that 65 percent of women in battleground states view Planned Parenthood positively; an approval rating unmatched by very few national organizations. Put simply, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund will play an important role in this election. We are engaged in an aggressive effort to educate voters about both Senator Obama and Senator McCain’s records on women’s health care. As more and more women voters learn that McCain opposes Roe v. Wade, and has voted against women’s reproductive health care, they are less likely to support him. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s endorsement process calls for the national board to make a recommendation to its state and local 501 (c)(4) organizations across the country that represent the interests of its 103 affiliates and for those 501 (c)(4) organizations to ratify the endorsement. Following ratification by state and local action funds, the national Action Fund will make official its endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for president.
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the political arm of |
