“It is disappointing that the Senate included a callous, dangerous abortion restriction in the legislation designed to fix the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) it passed yesterday evening.

We are grateful to Senator Patty Murray, and every senator who co-sponsored and supported the Women’s Access to Quality Health Care Act amendment. The amendment would have improved access to critical women’s health services by increasing much-needed funding for the Title X family planning program and investing in women’s health care providers. It also would have extended funding for community health centers, making it possible for more low-income women to find affordable care, while lifting the harmful abortion restriction on these funds — a restriction that had no place in this bill.

It is shameful that legislation to fix the SGR became another vehicle for denying women the health care they need.”