Corrine Brown stands by Planned Parenthood against “extreme conservative” Republicans

U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown condemned House Republicans on Thursday for “threatening to shut down the government in an attempt to protest Planned Parenthood,” a gambit she described as “appalling.” She says in a prepared statement:

“Planned Parenthood clinics, which receive approximately $500 million in government funding, are often one of the few affordable health care options for many women across the nation.  They provide life-saving preventive care for millions of underserved women every year – including essential cervical cancer and breast cancer screenings, as well as other critical women’s health services.  One in five American women have relied on a Planned Parenthood health care center for care in her lifetime, and Planned Parenthood serves 2.7 million patients every year.

“In spite of this, extreme conservative members of the Republican Party are once again threatening to shut down the entire government to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood and the millions of American women who count on its clinics for comprehensive health care. In fact, the House Republican Majority in 2011 nearly brought our nation to the brink of a government shutdown over funding for Planned Parenthood.   And in this instance, Congress absolutely cannot allow the Republican Party to use the threat of a government shutdown to defund women’s health.”