“We applaud the Obama administration for finalizing today’s rule, which protects access to essential women’s health care. The final rule ensures the fundamentals vital to women’s health – family planning services, cancer screenings, screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and well-woman exams – are accessible to the four million low-income people who rely on Title X, the nation’s family planning program, for their health care.

The final rule is a welcome measure to prevent politicians from ignoring the law and denying Title X funds to highly qualified health care providers and entities that can offer the services people need in their own communities. We wholeheartedly support its enactment.

When politicians target access to reproductive health care, the consequences disproportionately affect communities that already face systemic barriers to health care access, including communities of color. This new rule would help ensure that Title X funds are available to qualified family planning providers who are able to serve patients who otherwise would be very likely to go without the care they need.

The election offered no mandate to erode women’s access to health care. We urge the next administration and Congress to refuse to play politics with women’s health. Any attempt to undermine this rule, which is critical to the health and well-being of women and families, would be a clear and unjustified attack on women’s health.”