Battle Over Planned Parenthood Funding Becomes National Issue

October 22, 2012 — Lawmakers' efforts to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood in Arizona, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and other states have helped propel the organization to the forefront of national political debates, the Washington Post reports.

However, as the organization has increasingly become a symbol of partisan battles over reproductive health, its mission of providing women with accessible health services has been "threatened," according to the Post.

Jill June, president of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, said the attention to women's health and rights is both good and bad. Although the issues are getting more recognition, "[w]e are having to defend ourselves when what we want to do is provide care," she said (Somashekhar, Washington Post, 10/20).