Progress Texas joins 50+ elected officials and organizations in an open letter demanding that Gov. Abbott and the Attorney General Ken Paxton put politics aside and drop their baseless $1.8 billion lawsuit against Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and all three Texas affiliates who provide health care to more than 100,000 Texans. Their job is to help Texans, not take away access to essential health services. We are proud to continue to fight with Planned Parenthood.

Abridged version of our letter:
Dear Governor Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton,

We write to you today with deep concern regarding the ongoing lawsuit, Doe v. PPFA, against Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and the three Texas Planned Parenthood affiliates (Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, and Planned Parenthood South Texas). We implore you to reconsider your stance and drop this meritless lawsuit immediately.

The facts surrounding this lawsuit are clear and indisputable. Planned Parenthood did not commit Medicaid fraud. The accusation of Medicaid fraud is unfounded and appears to be an attempt to undermine the vital preventive services that Planned Parenthood offers to uninsured and underinsured Texans. Furthermore, the outcome of this lawsuit carries significant implications for the more than 100,000 Texans who depend on Planned Parenthood each year for accessible and affordable health care services like lifesaving cancer screenings and STI testing and treatment. If Planned Parenthood health centers were forced to pay the nearly $2 billion in penalties sought in this meritless lawsuit, it would have devastating effects on their ability to deliver health care to the Texas communities they have served for over 85 years. The consequences would be felt most acutely by low-income individuals and families, people of color, LGBTQ+, and rural Texans – communities that have long faced discrimination and systemic obstacles in accessing quality care and communities that Planned Parenthood plays an outsized role in serving.

Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton, we ask you to consider the true impact of this lawsuit. We urge you to honor your duty to protect all Texans and defend the health and well-being of the most vulnerable by withdrawing this meritless lawsuit immediately and ensuring that essential, affordable health care remains accessible to all who need it.

Sincerely, 

Progress Texas

Read the full letter here

Read more: Our fight for abortion access and reproductive rights