I strongly urge U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to support both the Affordable Care Act and Planned Parenthood. I appreciate U.S. Sen. Murkowski’s support for Planned Parenthood and hope that the Senator will continue that support. Defunding Planned Parenthood will remove from Alaska’s larger communities a strong provider of reproductive health care that cannot be fully replaced by community health clinics. Due to its primary focus on reproductive health care, PP has participated in research on how to best provide birth control more widely in safe and affordable ways. This type of research is less likely to happen in clinics that provide the wide range of services that community clinics provide. Women who have the education and tools needed to plan their pregnancies have healthier babies and stronger families. In addition, the many related health services that PP makes available to clients — breast cancer screenings, STD screenings, prenatal care, general health exams, for example — are important to mothers, babies and fathers. Repealing and/or defunding affordable health care options is not the best way to serve Alaskan constituents.
Judy Andree
Juneau
