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Spotlight on Congressman Tim Ryan
Time and time again, you have made your voice heard in Washington, DC — urging your elected officials to stand up for women’s health and rights and to stand strong with Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading reproductive health care provider and advocate. Now, we are asking you to thank Rep. Tim Ryan for hearing your call and standing with Planned Parenthood to support women’s health.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , In 2007, Planned Parenthood faced two unprecedented federal attacks designed to shut down America's leading health care provider and advocate. First, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN-06) offered an amendment to the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill that would have stripped all federal family planning dollars from Planned Parenthood health centers. Then, Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) offered a similar amendment to the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill that would have prohibited all federal health care funding from being made available to any entity (except hospitals) that uses its own, private funds to perform abortions other than to save a woman's life. Thanks to your courageous leadership for taking a public stand against these attacks on Planned Parenthood, both of these amendments were soundly defeated. Thank you, Rep. Ryan, for your continued support for Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio, and the millions of women, men, and teens Planned Parenthood serves each year. Your support of Planned Parenthood's work in our community and throughout the country means the world to me, and I hope you continue to stand strong with Planned Parenthood in 2008 and beyond.
Sincerely, |
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| Background Information |
As you know, Planned Parenthood is
Because of Planned Parenthood’s very public role in support of women’s health, we are a favorite target of anti-choice politicians. Just last year, Planned Parenthood faced two unprecedented attacks in Congress designed to put us out of business.
If it wasn’t for the courageous support of 11 senators and representatives, these attacks might have succeeded. Right here, in our own backyard, Rep. Ryan stood strong for Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio and publicly decried these attacks.
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Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-17)
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Congressman Ryan also showed tremendous leadership to correct a problem when Congress inadvertently cut off college and university health centers and some community health providers from obtaining birth control at low cost.
Last November, he co-sponsored the common-sense “Prevention Through Affordable Access Act.” In a letter to his colleagues in the House of Representatives encouraging co-sponsorship of the bill, Rep. Ryan said, “This policy change has taken us one step backward in the effort to reduce unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion.”
This evening, Planned Parenthood is holding a reception to honor pro-family planning members of the House and Senate for their hard work during 2007, spotlighting these 11 champions. Now, we are asking you to say “thanks” to Rep. Ryan for standing with Planned Parenthood.
Our elected representatives need to hear from you. Let’s show our collective appreciation of their support throughout this past year and urge them to continue to stand strong with Planned Parenthood throughout the year ahead. Just as surely as Planned Parenthood won’t back down from protecting women’s health, we know that anti-family planning members won’t stop these attempts to defund us.
