Planned Parenthood recently announced its endorsement of two of the Bronx’s newest progressive Congressional candidates.
Ritchie Torres (NY-15) and Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) received the nonprofit organization’s support due to their backing of pro-reproductive rights. According to Planned Parenthood, the districts in which the candidates are running are majority Black and Latinx, two groups who have suffered from an unequal healthcare system stemming from systemic racism and economic oppression.
“I am honored to receive the endorsement of Planned Parenthood Action Fund,” said Bowman in a statement to the Bronx Times. “In the last four years, President Trump and his administration have rolled back women’s rights, slashed millions of dollars in funding for critical social services and repeatedly threatened reproductive health care, including abortions. In Congress, I look forward to working with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund as we restore these rights and fight to ensure everyone has the right to choose, the fundamental right to bodily autonomy and access to reproductive and preventative care.”
Both candidates have consistently shown their support for Planned Parenthood and its mission to provide reproductive health care to all. Back in January of this year, Torres took to Twitter and spoke in favor of women’s rights to have an abortion.
Women’s right to determine their own health care & make the decisions that are appropriate for their bodies is under attack. We must continue to fight on all fronts to ensure women have access to safe abortions. #RoeVsWade @PPFA @PPact https://t.co/wM0XoNuTjs
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) January 22, 2020
During his time in office, President Trump has made several attempts to strike down the Affordable Care Act, making it harder for Americans to access the basic health care they need. In an effort to repeal the ACA, the Trump Administration attacked initiatives like Title X, the country’s only dedicated family planning program and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program.
“This November voters in The Bronx have a chance to elect candidates who are dedicated to protecting their sexual and reproductive health and rights. We are thrilled with Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s endorsement of Ritchie Torres and Jamaal Bowman, allies whose values align with New Yorkers wants and needs,” said Pascale Bernard, vice president of political affairs and community organizing at Planned Parenthood.
A recent Planned Parenthood poll found that voters in the south Bronx support access to abortion and other high-quality sexual and reproductive care. Voters in the same poll also indicated that Congress should address the issue of maternal mortality, which studies have shown disproportionately affect Black mothers due to health care bias.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that Black, Native American and Alaskan Native women in the United States are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts.
“New Yorkers are done seeing the Trump administration and out-of-touch politicians try every trick in the book to chip away at health care access and safety net programs. We are ready for bold leaders who will fight back against these harmful policies,” Bernard said.
Torres and Bowman will be on the Nov. 3 ballot in the 15th and 16th Congressional Districts respectively.
