[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4679]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




GRAND OPENING OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD HEALTH FACILITY IN OAKLAND COUNTY, 
                                MICHIGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2012

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark the occasion of the grand 
opening of a new Oakland County, Michigan facility for Planned 
Parenthood, an organization that I stand with proudly in spirit, 
purpose and commitment.
  Never before in recent history have we witnessed such feverish and 
brazen attacks on the reproductive and health care rights of women. 
Planned Parenthood, in particular, has been unfairly targeted in this 
war on women.
  More than ever, our communities and families need organizations like 
Planned Parenthood. In fact, 97 percent of Planned Parenthood's 
services are basic, preventive health care, like annual exams, testing 
and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV testing and 
counseling, and procedures to address pre-cancerous conditions of the 
cervix. Seventy-five percent of Planned Parenthood Mid- and South-
Michigan patients are women between the ages of 20 and 40, many of whom 
struggle without health insurance. Planned Parenthood is there for 
them.
  I especially applaud the opening of this facility because for more 
than five years there has been no Title X family planning provider in 
Oakland County that serves everyone, regardless of ability to pay. In 
2010, Planned Parenthood served 5,420 Oakland County patients who had 
to travel to other counties to receive basic and preventive health 
care. This means critical federal dollars were not being spent in 
Oakland County, an area of significant need. It is time for Oakland 
County to get its fair share of federal dollars, and for it's citizens 
to receive much-needed reproductive health services in their own 
community.
  In conclusion, we need to stop playing politics with women's health 
care. We need to get our struggling families the services they need. 
This facility is a first step in the right direction for women and 
families in our region.

                          ____________________