House votes to defund Planned Parenthood; I am livid

Despite the impassioned testimony of many lawmakers, on Friday the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to eliminate Title X funding, which supported clinics and programs that provide contraception and basic gynecological care to low-income women. This bill (which I like to call the “Anti-Pap Smear and Anti-Contraception Act” or the “Encouraging Teen STDs Act“) passed with the inclusion of an amendment by Rep. Mike Pence that specifically targets Planned Parenthood, denying the organization all federal funding.

Watch me sputter in anger on national television when Chris Hayes asks me about this bill:

Ann Friedman MSNBC Live 2011-02-18
Transcript here.

If you’re on Twitter, folks have been using the hashtag #thanksPPFA to talk about times when Planned Parenthood was there for them. My core lady Jeanne Brooks has posted a roundup of #thanksPPFA tweets. Her own story is awesome:

As for me, when I was unemployed, uninsured and had an infection, Planned Parenthood treated me for $25 when the treatment should have cost over $300. I took the $300 I saved and bought a plane ticket to interview for what would become my first job in DC. #thanksPPFA!

And if you have some spare cash, now would be a good time to donate it to Planned Parenthood, ideally in the name of Rep. Mike Pence.

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