National Right to Life Wants to Defund Planned Parenthood, Supports Virginia’s Transvaginal Ultrasound Effort

Yesterday, National Right to Life endorsed Ed Gillespie in the Republican gubernatorial primary. While Virginians have a clear understanding that Gillespie would like to see abortion banned in Virginia, they still don’t know whether he would defund Planned Parenthood as governor -- a bill thatGovernor McAuliffe vetoed earlier this year.

 National Right to Life has supported some of Virginia’s strongest anti-women’s health positions, including efforts to defund Planned Parenthood at the stateand federal levels. In 2012, they supported Virginia’s transvaginal ultrasound requirement, while its former president was called an “early proponent” of Todd Akin’s view that women can’t get pregnant from rape.

 National Right to Life also heavily praised President Donald Trump’s action to remove federal funding from organizations that provide abortions in the United States. Yet, the question still remains unanswered if Gillespie, as governor, would to defund Planned Parenthood in Virginia.

 “Ed Gillespie told Virginians earlier this year that he would like to see abortion banned in the Commonwealth,” said DPVA spokeswoman Christina Freundlich. “Despite touting the endorsement from a Donald Trump-backed organization that wants to defund Planned Parenthood, Virginians still don’t know whether Ed Gillespie would follow in Trump’s footsteps in Virginia. Gillespie needs to come forward and state his position on funding for Planned Parenthood and women’s health in the Commonwealth.”