From: VanOstern, Colin <Colin.VanOstern@nh.

gov>
Date: Fri, Jan 29, 2016 at 9:39 AM
Subject: RELEASE: Letter to Council - Time to restore PP funding
To: "Pappas, Christopher" <Christopher.Pappas@nh.gov>

The following is a letter from Councilors Colin Van Ostern & Chris Pappas to Councilors Sununu, Kenney, and
Wheeler requesting that they join in calling for the restoration of Planned Parenthood funding in New
Hampshire.
This week, a Grand Jury cleared Planned Parenthood and indicted its accusers; and, the NH house voted 227100 on Wednesday against defunding & investigating Planned Parenthood.
----Friday, 1/29, 9:00 am
Councilors Kenney, Sununu, and Wheeler:
This week, a grand jury cleared Planned Parenthood of all accusations and instead indicted its accusers. The
next day, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted 227-100 not to investigate and defund the
nonprofit health care provider here in our state.
We write today to invite you to join us in asking Governor Hassan to reconsider contracts for basic health care
at Planned Parenthood and to join us in passing them. A simple majority of the Executive Council just one
Councilor joining the two of us can restore this funding immediately.
For six months, New Hampshire women and families have been deprived of critical funding for basic medical
care; care that was budgeted for by legislators but denied when the Executive Council voted 3-2 in August to
end contracts for Planned Parenthood health centers in Manchester, Keene, Claremont, Derry, and Exeter.
While Planned Parenthood has gone to extraordinary efforts to minimize the impact of these cuts to their
patients, they are currently facing wait times of three to five weeks at some locations for non-emergency care.
In Manchester alone, Planned Parenthood served roughly 500 fewer patients in the past six months compared
with the previous year when the health center received state funds.
When the Council voted narrowly against these funds in August, Councilor Sununu stated he was looking to
just take a pause, and the only objection cited by either Councilor Sununu or Councilor Kenney was the thennew videos which have since been debunked (and their makers indicted).
To be clear:
* Five different congressional investigations were undertaken and not one uncovered any evidence of
wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood.
* Ten states have concluded state investigations by clearing Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing (FL,
OH, PA, GA, IN, MA, MI, MO, SD).
* Eight other states, including New Hampshire, found no evidence worthy of even an investigation.
* The final state investigation this week in Texas resulted in a grand jury clearing Planned Parenthood and
indicting the anti-Planned Parenthood activists who are now accused of breaking the law in the course of
targeting the nonprofit.
The questions raised in the previous vote against these funds have been resolved, but the denial of funds by
the Council continues to adversely impact public health and the lives of thousands of Granite Staters. Its time
to move forward together by setting aside political considerations and doing what is right for the roughly 13,000
New Hampshire women and families who relied on this care last year.

It is not every day that a vote of the Council can save lives and impact the well being of our constituents. This
is one of those instances. Please join us in restoring the funds that were cut for birth control, cancer
screenings, and other basic health care for New Hampshire women and families at Planned Parenthood health
centers.
Sincerely,
Councilor Colin Van Ostern
Councilor Chris Pappas
-Colin Van Ostern
Executive Councilor, NH-02
(603) 290-5848
PO Box 193, Concord, NH 03302