*** Emergency Alert ***
We are proud to continue to fight with Planned Parenthood. #ImForPP
Breaking News: An appeals court embraces abortion-pill limits, sets up Supreme Court review. The Supreme Court has ruled that mifepristone, a key abortion drug, will remain available for now under existing rules while litigation continues.
However, there is another big issue happening that most folks are not aware about…
Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk — the same judge who tried to ban mifepristone a few months ago — is hearing another case - Doe v. PPFA, a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and three Planned Parenthood affiliates who provide health care in Texas. In a city with no Planned Parenthood clinic, the lawsuit was filed and is being heard by Kacsmaryk, a judge favored by conservative litigants.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton, and anti-abortion activists are promoting their decades-long agenda to close down Planned Parenthood. Instead of helping their constituents, these policy makers are engaging in political games and attempting to deny health care to Texans in desperate need. They are manipulating the system for personal gain while recklessly playing with people's lives.
The lawsuit falsely alleges that Planned Parenthood affiliates have broken federal and state laws by collecting Medicaid payments for birth control and other health services that court orders approved. They are asking for up to $1.8 billion in damages from Planned Parenthood for offering healthcare and adhering to the law. This is even though the Medicaid reimbursements in question total less than $17 million.
The results of this legal battle have the potential to drastically reduce access to affordable birth control, cancer screenings, and other necessary healthcare services for individuals who are struggling financially. This could have a disproportionate effect on people with low incomes, women, and minority groups who are already facing obstacles to healthcare due to racism and bias —both in Texas and throughout the country.
Texas Planned Parenthood affiliates and PPFA followed the law, and, unequivocally, did not commit Medicaid fraud. This lawsuit is not about the truth — it is a blatant attack attempting to shut down Planned Parenthood.
People Power United supports and fights for Planned Parenthood. Our fight is the fight for bodily autonomy, including access to abortion, birth control, gender affirming healthcare, and more. Planned Parenthood health centers provide all people, regardless of income, access to high-quality sexual and reproductive health care and the resources they need. We are proud to fight with Planned Parenthood in the face of unprecedented, overtly political attacks.
Calls-to-Action
Here are some People Power United actions we can take to support Planned Parenthood:
Click here to sign on to Planned Parenthood’s letter to ‘Drop the Lawsuit’
Click here to send an electronic letter to your member of Congress to support the Women’s Health Protection Act which will protect women’s health, her ability to make decisions, and her constitutional rights. It codifies Roe into law, allowing women to make their own reproductive choice without interference from politicians.
Social Media
Can you help us spread the word on Social Media?
Click here to share our post on Facebook, or Twitter, or Instagram
Bans Off Our Bodies Fundraiser
We can and must protect ROE-the right to an abortion.
However, as champions for progress, we must also protect the right to affordable and easy-to-access providers. Having ROE on the books will mean nothing if people in our community can not afford or have access to the care they need. Let's support the organizations that are defending abortion rights, affordable care, and easy access to providers: Planned Parenthood, MoveOn, Women's March, Reproductive Equity Now, and UltaViolet.
Click here to support the Bans off our Bodies Fundraiser. Just a few dollars can make a difference-and if funds are not available this month, please consider in the future to make a donation.
Resources
Some abortion drug restrictions are upheld by an appeals court in a case bound for the Supreme Court
In ‘Baseless’ Texas Lawsuit, Matthew Kacsmaryk Could Singlehandedly Shut Down Planned Parenthood
Trump’s worst judge will hear a $1.8 billion attack on Planned Parenthood
Texas Is Suing Planned Parenthood for $1.8B Over $17M in Medicaid Payments