NHDP Statement on Republican Executive Councilors Voting To Defund Family Planning Centers

This morning, Chris Sununu’s Executive Council on a 4-1 party line vote — with only Democratic Councilor Cinde Warmington opposed — voted to defund Planned Parenthood and several other family planning providers across the state for the third time. This vote comes after Councilors Gatsas, Wheeler, Stevens, and Kenney voted to defund these organizations on September 15 and again on December 22.

In response, NHDP Senior Advisor Senator Melanie Levesque released the following statement:

“I am disappointed, but not surprised, that Republican Executive Councilors have once again voted to take away access to quality, affordable reproductive health care for Granite Staters. Make no mistake, Chris Sununu and his handpicked Executive Council are directly responsible for his Executive Council’s vote to repeatedly defund Planned Parenthood and other family planning centers across New Hampshire that provide critical care. Yet again, Councilors Gatsas, Wheeler, Stevens, and Kenney have threatened access to birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and other important health care services that thousands of Granite Staters rely on.

“Thank you to Councilor Cinde Warmington for being, yet again, the only advocate for reproductive healthcare on the Executive Council. This disappointing decision today reminds us of how much is at stake in 2022. We need to continue doing everything we can to elect Democrats up and down the ballot who will put public health over politics. hold It is past time the NH GOP is held accountable for trying to take our fundamental rights away.”