Legislators in New Jersey, Wisconsin, Texas and elsewhere have already witnessed the harm caused by state cuts to family planning funding.
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, 274 state legislators representing 43 states released an open letter stating their opposition to President Trump’s proposed rule to block access to health care under Title X, our nation’s birth control and reproductive health program, and deny women information about their full reproductive health care options. All 274 legislators are members of the Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council, a first of its kind national network of state legislators committed to embracing leadership on reproductive rights. The RFLC is a project of the State Innovation Exchange (SiX).
Click here to read the full letter from members of the Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council.
There have been over 400 state-level restrictions on abortion passed since 2011, and legislators in states including New Jersey, Wisconsin, Texas and elsewhere have already witnessed the harm caused when state funding to family planning services and health centers is cut, and these examples serve as cautionary tales. Creating additional barriers through federal policy is unacceptable; Trump’s proposal could impact 4 million Americans who are served each year by the Title X program.
“Trump is not the first elected official to try to take women backwards, and he won’t be the last. But these 274 state legislators are showing that the tide is turning and progressive leaders on the ground and in statehouses will do everything they can to protect women’s health,” said SiX Director of Reproductive Rights Kelly Baden.