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Pelosi Statement on the 40th Anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut

June 7, 2005

Pelosi Statement on the 40th Anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut

Tuesday, June 7, 2005

Contact: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the 40th anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut, the landmark Supreme Court case that recognized the constitutional right to privacy and gave women control over their own reproductive health decisions:

"The Griswold decision expanded access to family planning and was a victory for women, families, and public health. Over the past 40 years, family planning has been critical to the health of millions of American women and families, preventing unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, and reducing the rate of abortion.

"Despite these successes, family planning services are under attack by pharmacists who refuse to fill birth control prescriptions, anti-family planning lawmakers in Congress, and President Bush. The President's policies have reversed years of progress by blocking access to emergency contraception, underfunding family planning programs, and steering taxpayer money to unproven and unsound abstinence-only programs.

"As we celebrate the anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut, we must continue to fight for access to basic health care and family planning services. We must preserve the right to privacy while promoting a comprehensive approach to reproductive health care, including planning for healthy pregnancies, preventing unintended pregnancies, and providing comprehensive and medically-accurate sexuality education."