National Partnership for Women & Families Comments on Price Nomination

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The National Partnership for Women and Families issued the following statement by President Debra L. Ness:

"Today's Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on the disappointing nomination of Rep. Tom Price for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides a critical opportunity for senators and voters to closely examine his record.

"During his 11 years in Congress, Rep. Price has consistently championed policies that would undermine the health and well-being of women and families. It's deeply troubling that he has worked to weaken the same programs that he has been nominated to oversee - programs that tens of millions of people rely on to protect their health and the health of their families.

"Price's opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA); his determination to make devastating changes to Medicaid, Medicare and other key parts of our nation's social safety net; and his radical opposition to abortion and contraceptive care should disqualify him for the job of America's top public health and family planning official.

"The ACA is the greatest advance for women's health in a generation, yet Rep. Price voted more than 60 times to repeal the law, which has expanded health coverage to 20 million previously uninsured people. And Price's ACA replacement proposals, centering around health savings accounts, high-risk insurance pools, and interstate insurance sales, would significantly reduce access to care, drive up health care costs and jeopardize the quality of health care, especially for those who need it most--the seriously ill, and those with pre-existing conditions.

"Rep. Price is a fervent opponent of women's reproductive health services. He has repeatedly voted to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides essential preventive health services such as cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing, and HIV testing to 2.5 million people annually. Price's opposition to contraception coverage and abortion care harms women whose health, economic security, equity and dignity are tied to their freedom to plan whether and when to have children.

"It's clear that Price is the wrong choice to lead HHS, which has a mission 'to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans.' Throughout his career, he has worked to undermine women's health and promote policies that make it harder for those most in need to get quality, affordable care. We urge the Senate to examine his record carefully, demand transparency about his financial dealings and reject this nominee."

The National Partnership for Women & Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, access to quality health care and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family. More information is available at www.NationalPartnership.org.

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