WASHINGTON - February 18 - Moments ago, the House passed an amendment from Rep. Mike Pence that would eliminate all federal funding to Planned Parenthood clinics, which provide critical health services to millions of women each year.

The Pence amendment further reduced support for women's health care in a spending resolution that, if passed, would also eliminate all Title X family planning funds. Title X clinics provide everything from annual exams, to cancer screenings, to contraceptive services, to testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. The provision would take the program, which has been in place for over 40 years, from $317 million dollars a year to nothing virtually overnight.

Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way, said:

"The House GOP promised to focus on job creation and helping Americans out of hard economic times. But instead Republican leaders are spending their energies fighting culture war battles that hurt unemployed Americans--especially women--and do nothing to put people back to work.

“This attack on American women is shameful; that it's being done in the name of 'fiscal responsibility' is ludicrous. What is responsible about denying funds to organizations that help millions of women prevent unintended pregnancies? What is responsible about depriving women across the country of what is often their only source of critical screening for and treatment of disease?

“This provision hurts women while helping nobody. It's a shameless attempt to appeal to a small and noisy base, while throwing the needs of millions of American women under the bus.”