A group of women calling for the defunding of Planned Parenthood made two stops in Iowa Monday. Former Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, a Republican from Colorado, helped organize the bus tour traveling through seven states. She says an organization that provides abortion services shouldn’t be supported by tax dollars.
“Does Planned Parenthood provide other services to women? Yes, they do,” Musgrave said. “But, Planned Parenthood provides abortions and at this time of fiscal crisis and moral outrage, we should say, ‘no more tax dollars for Planned Parenthood.” A measure approved in the U.S. House earlier this month would eliminate about $330 million through the end of September for preventative-health services, including federal funding for contraception and cancer screenings, at Planned Parenthood clinics across the country.
Musgrave claims Planned Parenthood is bypassing federal law which prevents the use of federal dollars for abortion services. “If Planned Parenthood wants to continue the other services for women, they should separate their funding and not require every one of their affiliates to provide abortions,” Musgrave said.
Iowa Congressmen Leonard Boswell and Bruce Braley, both Democrats, voted against the measure approved in the U.S. House. Musgrave and others spoke at rallies outside Boswell and Braley’s district offices in Des Moines and Davenport.