(C) Common Dreams
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U.S. House Votes to “Defund” Planned Parenthood in Budget Bill That Representatives From ME, NH & VT All Opposed [1]

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Date: 2025-06

(COLCHESTER, VT) - Following the early morning U.S House vote to take away health care from millions by "defunding" Planned Parenthood, forcing health centers to close, and drastically cutting Medicaid, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England issued the following statement:



Jessica Barquist, Kayla Montgomery, and Lisa Marqulies; Vice Presidents of Public Affairs, PPNNE:

“To be clear, 'defunding' Planned Parenthood and taking away health insurance from millions will do nothing to lower health care costs, address challenges in our health care system, or save lives. Taking health care away from people struggling to deal with rising costs and preventing people from using their health insurance at their trusted provider is cruel.



We thank Representatives Becca Balint (VT), Maggie Goodlander and Chris Pappas (NH), Jared Golden and Chellie Pingree (ME), for standing up for northern New Englanders and Planned Parenthood patients. We urge lawmakers in Washington to put the health of Americans ahead of billionaires and big corporations.”



Planned Parenthood doesn’t get a blank check from the federal government. Like any other health care provider, Planned Parenthood affiliates, like PPNNE, are reimbursed for services provided at health centers to patients who use Medicaid or other government-funded programs to obtain care. Stripping funds from Planned Parenthood won’t just hurt us, it will hurt the patients we serve and add additional strain on Vermont's already impaired health care system. We know what happens when people lose access to care: they skip cancer screenings, delay STI testing, miss birth control appointments. These delays lead to worsened health outcomes and more costly emergency care down the line.



The “defunding” Planned Parenthood language in the budget bill is abortion opponents’ latest attempt to try to shut down Planned Parenthood health centers and block patients from getting care. If passed by the Senate and signed by the President, the consequences would be catastrophic for patients: PPNNE health centers are an irreplaceable part of our health care system. Furthermore, analysis from the Congressional Budget Office finds “defunding” Planned Parenthood would cost $300 million and is the only provision in the health care portion of the bill that would increase the deficit.



The bottom line: "Defunding" Planned Parenthood won’t defund the need for care. It will only increase the strain on an already fragile health care system and create worse health outcomes for all involved. PPNNE is often the only health care provider some patients see in an entire year, and without Planned Parenthood, many patients would have nowhere to turn for care.

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[1] Url: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-northern-new-england/newsroom/u-s-house-votes-to-defund-planned-parenthood-in-budget-bill-that-representatives-from-me-nh-vt-all-opposed

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