Planned Parenthood endorses Lawless bid

The Planned Parenthood Action Fund has endorsed the candidacy of Jennifer Lawless, the Brown University political science professor seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2nd District U.S. House seat held by James R. Langevin.

Support for abortion rights is a major plank of Lawless' campaign; Langevin opposes abortion rights.

"Finally, a voice for the 2nd district!" Kathy Kushnir, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes Rhode Island, said in a news release. "What a difference Jen can make for Rhode Island's two-thirds pro-choice majority."

Lawless' campaign also announced a letter of support signed by Julie Burton, former executive director of Voters for Choice; Gloria Feldt, past president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Miriam Inocencio, CEO of Planned Parenthood Rhode Island; Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who won the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion-rights case; and activists including Victoria Hopper, Wendy MacKenzie, Lisa Perry, Dr. Pablo Rodriguez and Gloria Steinem.

This article appeared on July 5, 2006, in the Providence Journal.


CAMPAIGN RELEASE

Lawless Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF)
PPAF is the 6th National Organization to Endorse Lawless

WARWICK, RI - Jennifer Lawless, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Rhode Island's 2nd Congressional District, announced today that the Planned Parenthood Action Fund has officially endorsed her candidacy.

"I'm honored by Planned Parenthood's support," said Lawless. "Rhode Island families deserve a leader who will fight to protect their right to choose. And I intend to join Planned Parenthood's fight to provide families accurate and unbiased information, to allow women and families to make responsible decisions about family planning, and to protect our private and personal medical decisions from interference by politicians."

"Finally, a voice for the 2nd District!" said Kathy Kushnir, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood VOTES! Rhode Island. "What a difference Jen can make for Rhode Island's two-thirds pro-choice majority, and what a difference she can make on basic healthcare for thousands of Rhode Island families. We hope the Planned Parenthood Action Fund does all it can to make sure Rhode Island voters understand James Langevin's anti-choice record and what an improvement Congresswoman Lawless will be."

Since his election in 2000, Lawless' primary opponent, Representative James Langevin, has voted more than 25 times against a woman's right to choose.

The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization and the political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. PPAF's parent organization, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, operates more than 850 health centers in 49 states and the District of Columbia, serving nearly five million Americans every year.

PPAF joins the National Organization for Women PAC (NOW/PAC), Women's Campaign Fund (WCF), the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC), the Business and Professional Women PAC (BPW/PAC), and the Women Under Forty PAC as the sixth national organization to formally endorse Jennifer Lawless' campaign for Congress.

**

Also in the News...

Planned Parenthood Backing Langevin Foe

Add Planned Parenthood to the list of pro-abortion rights groups endorsing Brown University political science professor Jennifer Lawless in her primary challenge to Rep. James Langevin (D).

Planned Parenthood joins the National Organization for Women, the Women's Campaign Fund and several others.

[Lawless] is challenging the popular former secretary of state mainly because he opposes abortion rights.

Langevin is heavily favored to win a fourth term in the Ocean State's 2nd district.

This article appeared on June 14, 2006, in Roll Call, a Washington, DC newspaper.