Cohen Votes Against Bill that Would Threaten Funding for Planned Parenthood

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted against H.J.Res 43, a resolution that would overturn a rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services under the Obama Administration to ensure that patients can access Title X family planning and preventive health services through any Title X-qualified provider, including Planned Parenthood. Title X helps ensure that millions of women who have low incomes or are uninsured have access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI tests, and other basic care. H.J.Res 43 passed the House by a vote of 230-188.

"This bill is yet another attack by Republicans on women's health care," said Congressman Cohen. "Defunding Planned Parenthood and other Title X family planning programs denies women, especially low-income and minority women, access to critical health care services like cancer screenings, contraception and STD prevention and treatment. The rule issued by the Obama Administration on Title X was designed to protect health care access to millions of women across the country. To deny access to these health care services to these women is unconscionable. Congress should be focusing on how we can improve the health care system in this country, not dismantling it by repealing the Affordable Care Act and defunding Planned Parenthood. Ironically, then-candidate Trump said Planned Parenthood ‘does do wonderful things,' yet now this legislation comes."

Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress can overturn agency rules promulgated within the last 60 legislative days.