Senate Finance Republicans Once Again Vote Against Reproductive Health Care
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller
Phone: (603) 271-3207
CONCORD – Today, Senate Finance Republicans voted against a budget amendment that came as a request from the Department of Health & Human Services to appropriate $400,000 in the next fiscal year to fund family planning contracts for a period of time until federal funding is expected to be restored. This comes on the heels of a party line committee vote last week to reject an amendment from Senator Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua) and Senator Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester) that would have level-funded family planning programs in New Hampshire until anticipated federal funds become available. Republicans also rejected an amendment from Senators Rosenwald and D’Allesandro to remove a policy instituted in HB 2 by House Republicans to require the physical and financial separation of facilities performing routine medical care from abortion services.
After the vote, Senator Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua) issued the following statement:
“The modest appropriation we considered today would have by no means maintained the system of family planning providers we have in NH today, but it would have kept some providers going long enough to maintain some services care in the state until federal funds are restored. By rejecting this proposal, Republicans have tripled down on their commitment to dismantling access to reproductive health care and family planning services in New Hampshire, and continue to be seemingly indifferent to the very real health care needs of individuals who rely on these services, many of whom are low-income, at-risk citizens.”
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