Planned Parenthood Clinics Close, Lawmakers Demand Trump Administration Comply with Court Injunction
California Congressional Representatives Demand Reinstatement of Essential Health Care Funding
SAN JOSE, CA – California Congressional Representatives whose districts were harmed by the recent closure of five Planned Parenthood clinics due to Republicans’ Medicaid cuts, are calling upon the Trump Administration to comply with a Federal District Court injunction and reinstate this essential health care funding.
U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) led a letter along with Reps. Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and Adam Gray (CA-13), to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Trump and Republicans’ Big Ugly Budget Bill attacks the reproductive health services that women and families across the country rely upon, and intentionally targets Planned Parenthood by blocking Medicaid reimbursements. Due to the Administration’s anti-health care policies, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, the largest network in the country that serves 300,000 patients annually in California and Nevada, was forced to close five clinics in South San Francisco, San Mateo, Gilroy, Santa Cruz and Madera.
“These centers, which have served over 23,000 patients in the past year, provided essential care to their communities, including cancer screenings and STI testing. [Republicans’] policy choices have also forced Planned Parenthood Mar Monte to sunset three of their services, which an ever-increasing number of patients have come to rely on: family medicine, behavioral health, and prenatal care,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter.
Planned Parenthood operates nearly 600 health centers across the nation that serve 2.1 million patients. About 1 in 3 women have been to a Planned Parenthood clinic in their lifetime, with 65% of patients living below 150% of the federal poverty line. It provides a range of preventative health care services including routine check ups, cancer and diabetes screenings, smoking cessation programs, and family medicine to people of all ages from prenatal care to menopause treatment.
“We urge you to recognize the important role reproductive health care centers play in expanding access to care and demand you comply with a federal court’s preliminary injunction halting enforcement of this harmful cut in funding,” the lawmakers wrote. “With so much instability in the health care system right now, our constituents should not have to bear the burden of health center closures. You have a duty to ensure that they, along with all Americans, have access to health care, including safe and quality reproductive care.”
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