New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand fired back Friday morning against the Trump administration’s proposal to institute a rule that could strip funds from Planned Parenthood, saying Americans should be angry over the changes.
In an interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo on “New Day,” Gillibrand reacted to the news that the Trump administration plans to propose a new rule Friday that would bar abortions at facilities from receiving federal family planning funds, according to two people familiar with the plans – a move aimed squarely at Planned Parenthood, which accepts some federal money for non-abortion services.
“I think this is an issue that should enrage the American public, particularly women, because it’s an attack on them,” Gillibrand said. “I don’t know why members of Congress think it’s their job to tell women what to do with their health care.”
This newly proposed rule has long been sought by conservatives. This step would take the administration’s push to curtail abortions further. There are already laws in place that prevent federal money from directly funding abortions, but groups like Planned Parenthood still accept federal dollars for services like annual screenings and checkups.
Gillibrand has been a staunch defender of Planned Parenthood throughout her time in the Senate. She has a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood and has consistently stood against legislation that would defund the organization.
The New York Democrat also discussed the sexual harassment legislation that she has been trying to force the Senate to act on this week.
“I know we’re working very hard on a bipartisan basis to move this bill forward,” Gillibrand said of the bill she worked on with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. “The reason why I used the Rule 14 procedure yesterday was because I wanted to elevate this issue. We’ve been waiting long enough, it’s been 100 days since it passed unanimously in the House of Representatives.”
On Thursday, which marked the 100-day mark since the House of Representatives passed their version of the legislation, Gillibrand took to the Senate floor to push for a vote in the chamber. She used a procedural maneuver to draw attention to her bill, but it’s not expected to get a floor vote at this point, according to a GOP leadership aide.
CNN’s Sunlen Serfaty contributed to this story
