Planned Parenthood of Southern New England is preparing for the battle to defend its funding. Republicans in control of Washington have vowed to defund the organization, claiming federal funds should not go towards abortions.
Planned Parenthood is responding by organizing rallies locally and in Washington. Judy Tabar, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, says, “Rallies, speak-outs, etc. – that’s one day. But we need to keep this effort up of making our voices loudly heard every single day because elected officials must know how critical these services are.”
Planned Parenthood of Southern New England’s services include cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing and treatment for 70,000 people in Connecticut and Rhode Island. The organization says it does not use federal funds for abortion services.
Tabar says she’s confident they’ll be able to overcome threats posed to Planned Parenthood by Republicans in Congress.
“The arc of time is on our side, although we can never be complacent.”
Tabar expects the issue to be front and center during the Women’s March in Washington and across the country the Saturday after Donald Trump’s inauguration. They’re also planning a rally in Hartford on the Wednesday prior to the inauguration.