[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 47 (Monday, April 4, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMENTS BY SARAH STOESZ, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD 
                 MINNESOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 4, 2011

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to submit a letter from Sarah 
Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North 
Dakota, South Dakota.
  This letter was written in response to remarks made by one of my 
Republican colleagues on the House floor on February 17, 2011. During 
debate on an amendment to H.R. 1, this Member grossly mischaracterized 
comments that Ms. Stoesz made in the Wall Street Journal regarding 
Planned Parenthood's new express clinics model. This Member's comments 
constituted a personal attack against Ms. Stoesz. Such an attack on a 
citizen-leader is inconsistent with the best traditions of the House. I 
believe every Member of Congress has the responsibility to speak 
thoughtfully, respectfully and accurately on the House floor--that 
standard should apply during debate with our House colleagues and 
certainly to references to private American citizens.
  Planned Parenthood's 26 Minnesota clinics provide essential 
reproductive health services to over 60,000 women and men each year. 
The express model increases access to a broad range of health services 
provided by Planned Parenthood. These services which include cancer 
screenings, affordable family services, testing for sexually 
transmitted infections, HIV testing and counseling and routine 
physicals enable Planned Parenthood clients to live healthier lives and 
raise healthy families.


                                           Planned Parenthood,

                                   Minneapolis, MN, Mar. 21, 2011.
     Hon. Betty McCollum,
     Fourth District, Minnesota, Longworth Building, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Rep. McCollum: I am writing to seek your help in 
     making a correction to the Congressional Record.
       During the Feb. 17 U.S. House debate over the Pence 
     Amendment, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) made a completely 
     false statement about Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North 
     Dakota, South Dakota, and wrongly attributed that statement 
     to me. During the debate, Rep. Bachmann referred to a June 
     23, 2008, Wall Street Journal article, liberally adding her 
     own commentary as she ostensibly quoted verbatim. At one 
     point, she said:
       ``Sarah Stoesz, who heads the Planned Parenthood operation 
     in my state of Minnesota, said she recently opened three 
     express centers in wealthy Minnesota suburbs and shopping 
     centers and malls, in places where women are already doing 
     their grocery shopping, picking up Starbucks, living their 
     daily lives and stopping off for an abortion.''
       We would like the Congressional Record to show that:
       1. I never used the words ``wealthy'' or ``stopping off for 
     an abortion.''
       2. Abortion is not available at any of our PLAN express 
     model clinics, where the services are limited to birth 
     control, pregnancy testing and testing for sexually 
     transmitted infections. In fact, such basic, preventive 
     services represent 95 percent of what we offer our mostly 
     low-income patients.
       I find it reprehensible that Rep. Bachmann would portray 
     women as ``stopping off for an abortion.'' And I strongly 
     object to being misquoted and to the misstatement of facts 
     regarding our organization from the floor of the U.S. House.
       Thank you for any help you can give in correcting the 
     record.
           Very sincerely,
                                                     Sarah Stoesz,
     President and CEO.

                          ____________________