“A day after the President gave a deceiving speech about the importance of empowering women, the Vice President took a major step to roll back women’s reproductive rights. Of course this should come as no surprise given Pence’s long record of enacting some of the most backwards anti- woman policies in the nation as Governor of Indiana. Instead of allowing extremists to push forward an archaic and dangerous agenda that seeks to deprive women of their basic rights and dignity, Congress and the Administration should focus on uplifting them. That’s what empowerment means. Defunding Planned Parenthood is not only a violation of our right to make our own decisions about our body, but it is also unsafe for the millions of families—including countless New Yorkers—who rely on them to receive basic preventative services. This decision is simply outrageous.”

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