The main stream media "reports" that Sen. Brown has come out in favor of funding Planned Parenthood. That is not actually what he said.
"I support family planning and health services for women. Given our severe budget problems, I don't believe any area of the budget is completely immune from cuts. However, the proposal to eliminate all funding for family planning goes too far. As we continue with our budget negotiations, I hope we can find a compromise that is reasonable and appropriate."
The reporting has confused the provision of H.R. 1 that zeroes out Title X for the rest of the fiscal year (on which MCFL has taken no position), with the Pence Amendment, which does NOT reduce funding for Title X but which denies federal funding, from any program, for PPFA and its affiliates. Brown clearly expressed disagreement with the former provision, but he made no comment on the Pence Amendment.
Brown has pledged to vote against abortion funding. Title X money is not supposed to be used for abortions. Of course you are right - the funds are fungible, Planned Parenthood is doing a lot of murky things, they don't even provide some of the services they are touting, they have said they don't need federal money, a few years ago they could not account for hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funds, etc.
NPR got in trouble for using federal funds to lobby for federal funds. It appears that PP will get away with it. If they have sold their message to Congress better than we have, shame on us.
This means we must redouble the pressure! The vote on the Pence amendment in the Senate has not occurred, so please get back on the phones. Try to bring in some of your friends who haven't called yet.
Please make all the points you want, in any way you want, about the other awful things Planned Parenthood does, since those are the things that the Pence Amendment would defund.
Please call now, (202) 224-4543
If you can visit his office, so much the better
John F. Kennedy Federal Building, Suite 2400
15 New Sudbury Street
Boston, MA 02203, 617-565-3170
Defunding Planned Parenthood has been on our miracle list. Now that it seems in the realm of possibility, we must work harder than ever. Go to it!
Anne
THANK YOU!
For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved