Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, but we should call it the ``Depriving Women of their Health Care Act.''

This bill is just the latest political attack on millions of American women. This bill is a step backward for our Nation's healthcare system.

Defunding Planned Parenthood would deprive American women and their families of access to preventative services like cancer screenings and access to contraception and to prenatal counseling that helps women maintain healthy pregnancies.

Sadly, I am not surprised that my Republican colleagues continue this relentless attack on the

autonomy of women. We have seen it countless times before: Congress telling this country that a politician's judgment is superior to that of an American woman's.

What does surprise me, however, is that now Republicans are willing to shut down our government and put our economy at risk in order to deny women access to the healthcare providers of their choosing.

We can't allow Members of Congress to substitute their judgment for a woman's right to make decisions about her own body.

This bill does nothing more than take away healthcare options for low-income women because of a difference in beliefs over just 3 percent of the many vital services that Planned Parenthood provides.

Congress needs to get back to work on the real issues facing American women and their families.

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