ICYMI: Texas Members of Congress Call on Obama Administration to Reverse Decision Ending Women’s Health Program

Thirteen Texas Congressmen today rallied against the Obama Administration's latest attempt to erode Texas' 10th Amendment rights in a letter questioning the administration's attack on the Women's Health Program due to a long-standing state law prohibiting tax dollars from going to abortion providers and their affiliates, like Planned Parenthood.

"We are concerned that your decision to deny this waiver is not being driven by concern for the health of Texas women, but your insistence at supporting a pro-abortion agenda, something the Texas Legislature has statutorily forbidden the State of Texas from following," the members wrote. "Because the Social Security Act does not define qualifications for Medicaid providers, Texas has the right under the 10th Amendment to determine such standards as the state sees fit."

The Obama Administration has announced it is ending the Women's Health Program, which provides preventive health care to more than 100,000 Texas women. Gov. Perry has made clear that he will not stand by and let this Administration abandon these Texas women to advance its political agenda; Texas will fund these services with or without the federal government. The law was initially passed in 2005 and reauthorized in 2011 by Senate Bill 7.

View a copy of the letter sent by U.S. House members.

Gov. Perry's statement on the Obama Administration's decision to defund the WHP.

Gov. Perry's statement committing the state to funding these services.

Women's Health Program Facts:

• The program has been in effect since 2007, and provides preventative health care, including breast and cervical cancer screenings to more than 100,000 low-income, Texas women.
• Texas law prohibits tax dollars from funding abortion providers and their affiliates and has since the program's inception.
• Under federal law, states administer Medicaid and have the right to set the criteria for "qualified providers" in the program, not Washington. This is exactly what Texas has done, in accordance with Texas law. Texas law prohibits tax cheats, deadbeat parents or people suspected of serious abuse from participating as a provider in Medicaid, even though federal law does not.
• There are more than 2,500 qualified providers in the WHP.
• Planned Parenthood represents less than two percent of providers in the WHP.
• Planned Parenthood's cost per client is 43 percent higher than most other providers, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
• In FY 2010, nearly 80 percent of women served received WHP services from non Planned Parenthood providers.

More information on WHP.