Shaheen Statement on Emerging Impact of President Trump’s Domestic Gag Rule on Health Care Provided to NH Women & Families
**Health care clinics in NH are reporting that they are dipping into emergency funding, will soon be unable to afford supplies, unable to fill vacant positions, and planning cuts to STD testing services**
**Yesterday, Planned Parenthood announced that unless there’s an intervention by the courts, they will have to withdraw entirely from Title X**
(Washington, DC)—U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement after health care clinics in New Hampshire reported on the emerging impact of President Trump’s indefensible effort to undermine participation in the federal Title X family planning program. These local clinics are reporting that they can’t fill vacant positions, are dipping into emergency funding, will soon be unable to afford supplies, and planning cuts to STD testing. Yesterday, Planned Parenthood announced that unless there’s an intervention by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the organization will have to withdraw entirely from the Title X program.
“The Trump administration’s senseless Title X gag rule is now impacting health care that Granite Staters rely on, and it will only get worse if the administration continues to implement this destructive policy,” said Shaheen. “This rule is part of the Trump administration’s obsessive and senseless efforts to attack women’s constitutional right to reproductive health care. In addition to providing safe and legal abortions for women, the clinics targeted by the administration offer critical preventative health care services, such as lifesaving cancer screenings, STD testing and yearly physical exams, to millions of Americans, including more than 16,000 Granite Staters. I will continue to fight against this reckless and irresponsible domestic gag rule and do everything in my power to protect the health and safety of women and their families.”
Senator Shaheen is a dedicated advocate for women’s reproductive rights. Senator Shaheen has been fighting for years to increase coverage of women’s preventative care in the annual defense authorization bill. Earlier this month, Shaheen led the bicameral effort in Congress to reintroduce her legislation that would overhaul the Department of Defense’s (DOD) policy on contraceptive coverage and family planning to bring it in line with current law for civilian populations. The bill would ensure all women who receive health care through the United States military have access to all forms of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved contraception with no health insurance co-pay. Last week, Shaheen reintroduced the Access to Birth Control Act with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), which would guarantee patients’ timely access to birth control at the pharmacy. Shaheen has also repeatedly fought to repeal the Global Gag Rule, which bans critical federal aid for non-governmental groups that provide the full scope of family planning and maternal health services abroad.
