On June 21, Planned Parenthood patients and supporters will hold "Pink the Night Out" at rallies all across the country, including in Portland. They'll be rallying outside health centers at sunset to illuminate the night sky with pink lights, to share personal stories about the importance of Planned Parenthood and to demand that the U.S. Senate oppose Trumpcare.
It has become abundantly clear that Senator McConnell and Republican leaders plan to move very quickly to pass Trumpcare before the July 4 recess. The Senate is working in secret, refusing to hold any hearings or listen to healthcare experts, on legislation that would be devastating for millions.
Trumpcare would block people from going to Planned Parenthood for preventive care, roll back Medicaid coverage, gut maternity care, increase costs for millions and allow insurance companies to discriminate against women and charge exorbitant prices. In Oregon alone, more than 60,000 people rely on Planned Parenthood annually.
"Simply put, Trumpcare is the worst bill for women's health ever, and it must be stopped," said Mary Nolan, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon. "Trumpcare would 'defund' Planned Parenthood and block people in Oregon from access to birth control, cancer screenings and STI testing. Oregonians are not going to sit silently while D.C. politicians negotiate away their access to health care. That's why we're rallying all across the country, demanding that politicians like Congressman Greg Walden oppose Trumpcare. The Senate needs to listen to the 80% of voters who support Planned Parenthood and reject efforts to block people from getting care at Planned Parenthood."
Over the past few months, Planned Parenthood has seen an unprecedented outpouring of organizing, activism and support. People across Oregon marched, showed up at town hall meetings, flooded the congressional switchboard with calls, organized online and stood up for access to health care. Nationally, Planned Parenthood supporters made more than 122,000 phone calls to members of Congress and held more than 1,500 events to fight for access to lifesaving preventive health care at Planned Parenthood.
WHAT: "Pink the Night Out" Sunset Rally
WHEN: 8-9pm Wednesday, June 21st
WHERE: Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette's Regional Service Center, 3727 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland
June 16, 2017
