NY Lawmakers Call For Continued Government Funding For Planned Parenthood
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Local lawmakers want New Yorkers to fight the conservative effort on Capitol Hill to defund Planned Parenthood.
"This is against your mothers, your sisters and your daughters," Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel said. "We have come together on this issue for the salvation of our nation."
Local Leaders Call For Continued Government Funding For Planned Parenthood
Rangel joined local Democrats and women's advocates on the steps of City Hall on Monday to urge New Yorkers to reach out to their congressional leaders to fight for Planned Parenthood.
"Extremists must quit playing politics with Planned Parenthood," Assemblyman Keith Wright said.
This comes in the wake of undercover videos released by anti-abortion activists that accused the organization of selling fetal organs after abortions. Planned Parenthood has denied the accusations and said the videos are misleading.
Democratic leader Trudy Mason said conservative groups are misrepresenting what the longstanding organization does.
"All of those tapes that they have been releasing drop by drop are doctored. They have pieces from other tapes and it has been edited," Mason said.
Local Leaders Call For Continued Government Funding For Planned Parenthood
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer said the organization is about family planning services, and that message is getting lost in the political rhetoric.
"Three percent of their funding goes towards abortions, 42 percent goes to STD testing and treatment, 34 percent to contraception, 9 percent to cancer screening," Brewer said.
Public Advocate Letitia James said those looking to defund Planned Parenthood have a narrow focus on its services.
"Planned Parenthood provides nearly 400,000 Pap smears and 500,000 breast exams every year, detecting life-threatening cancers," James said. "Planned Parenthood provides nearly 4.5 million tests and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases."
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