Remarks of Judy Tabar

President & CEO, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England

Rhode Island Planned Parenthood Truth Team Speak Out

March 10, 2011

Thank you all for being here with us today!

My name is Judy Tabar, and I am proud to be the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England.

Thank you for your support of women’s health and for standing with Planned Parenthood against a dangerous and misleading campaign by those who want to shut down our health centers.

These extreme activists are working over time to stop any federal funds from providing lifesaving care to the women of our communities who rely on Planned Parenthood here in Rhode Island. Without this federal support, we could not care for many of the women who choose to come to us for quality, affordable health care. These women often have nowhere else to turn, and we must care for them.   Ninety percent of the care we provide is preventive – family planning, birth control, lifesaving screenings for cancer, breast exams, pap smears, and much more. 

Today, we are here to say NO.

No to taking away family planning and birth control.

No to taking away lifesaving cancer screenings.

No to taking away testing for HIV and other STDs.

But, any minute now, these outside activists will arrive just down the road in Pawtucket.  They’re coming to attack our health centers and the care we provide, as well as Congressman David Cicilline’s principled stand in support of Planned Parenthood.  But we will not allow their lies to go unanswered – lies about our local Planned Parenthood health center, about our lifesaving health care or about Congressman Cicilline. We are here today to set the record straight.

Our local Planned Parenthood is about women’s health, plain and simple. We see local women and we provide them with the best care possible.

Let’s also set the record straight about the deceptive tactics being employed by these extremists who are completely out of step with our community. They are trying to mislead the public about Planned Parenthood, and who we are. They have a history of grossly distorting the truth, as newspapers across the country have pointed out.

Let’s set the record straight.  We care about women, and we believe strongly in the value of cancer screenings, testing for HIV and other diseases and, yes, birth control. 

Let’s set the record straight. These people are willing to take away all of this vital health care from the women and families of Rhode Island.  Their singular goal is to shut us down – period.  To them, denying thousands of Rhode Island residents from access to basic health care is just collateral damage.  To us, it is morally reprehensible and completely unacceptable.  We will not be shut down.  We are here today, and we will continue to be here going forward, serving our communities.

We are here today to make sure that people in our community know about the critical role of both the Title X program and of Planned Parenthood here in Rhode Island. 

Last year alone in Rhode Island, over 20,000 residents received low-cost healthcare funded by Title X at Planned Parenthood and Community Health Centers across the state.  These services included nearly 14,000 breast and cervical cancer screenings, and almost 21,000 tests for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.  Thousands of these critical services were provided at Planned Parenthood’s health center in Providence. 

These are the services that are being targeted. These are the services that our doctors and nurses provide each year at Planned Parenthood’s health center right here in Providence. The budget passed by the House is the most dangerous legislative assault on women’s health in our country’s history.

The elimination of the national family planning program will hurt women and families, and have a devastating effect on communities across the nation. And it won’t save the federal government a dime!

Ironically, these proposals will do just the opposite of reducing our nation’s deficit and fixing the economy. That’s because for every dollar invested in family planning, taxpayers SAVE nearly $4 in other health care costs.

So what will the Pence Amendment to bar Planned Parenthood from providing health care services through any federal program accomplish?  It will leave millions of women at risk for serious health problems, including undetected cancers, undiagnosed HIV infections and other STDs. And tragically, by cutting preventive care and family planning, we will see more unintended pregnancies – not fewer.  That just doesn’t make sense. 

Thank you all for being here today to stand up for women’s health and for the high quality, compassionate and cost effective care Planned Parenthood provides.  Together, we are telling the truth and our voices are being heard.

Now you will hear from some amazing women who will speak to their personal experiences with Planned Parenthood right here in Rhode Island.