Mike Michaud: We Must Protect Access to Health Care PORTLAND – U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud is pledging today to increase access to health care, including for low-income women in Maine. His pledge comes just one day after the Legislature sustained Gov. Paul LePage’s vetoes of bipartisan bills that would have expanded access to health care for nearly 70,000 Mainers and protected access to family planning services, including preventive care such as cancer screenings, birth control and annual exams, for low-income women. LePage’s vetoes are more examples of how he has stood in the way of women’s health care since taking office. In 2012, with the support of the Republican controlled Legislature, LePage eliminated $400,000 in funding to family planning services throughout Maine. “Gov. LePage’s continued efforts to stand in the way of critical health care for low-income women and their families in unconscionable,” Michaud said. “These bills passed the Legislature with bipartisan support because they are common sense. They will save taxpayers money, reduce unintended pregnancies and improve the health of women and families across the state. Yet, Gov. LePage once again let ideology stand in the way of good policy. Mainers deserve to know who is on their side. As governor, I’ll work to restore and fight for critical funding for women’s health care services and expand access to health care just as I have in the Legislature and in Congress.” Michaud has been a consistent champion of funding for family planning services. Michaud was a co-sponsor of legislation in 1999 to fund family planning. He was also instrumental in creating the Fund for a Healthy Maine, which became the source of state-level funding for family planning services beginning in 2000 and continuing through 2012 when LePage eliminated the funding. While serving in Congress, Michaud has fought efforts to cut funding for family planning services. Michaud is also a longtime advocate for expanding access to health care and fought to ensure that Maine and other similar states could expand access to health care using federal dollars through the Affordable Care Act. For more information about Michaud, visit: michaud2014. Follow the campaign on Facebook at: https://facebook/MikeMichaudForGovernor; and on Twitter @michaud2014.
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 19:30:00 +0000
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