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Washington, D. C. – Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, issued the following statement regarding the reported budget deal.

“This entire process has exposed just how far the anti-choice House leadership is willing to go to attack women’s freedom and privacy. They are even willing to take our country to the brink of a government shutdown over issues that are unrelated to the budget deficit or other fiscal matters.

“We thank our allies in the White House, pro-choice leaders on Capitol Hill, and the hundreds of thousands of our grassroots activists whose combined pressure kept extremists from defunding Planned Parenthood and other family-planning centers. This action means millions of Americans will continue to have access to affordable contraceptive services, cancer screenings, and other basic health care.

“Unfortunately, this agreement is not a victory for all women, as it reinstates a ban that denies Washington, D.C.’s local leaders the option of using locally raised funds to provide abortion care to low-income women. Once again, the so-called ‘small –government’ politicians are interfering in D.C.’s local affairs as well as women’s personal, private medical decisions. It is unacceptable for any woman’s reproductive rights to be used as a bargaining chip. We worked with our allies to repeal this ban in 2009 and will fight to change the choice-related composition of the House of Representatives until we can repeal this discriminatory measure again.”