WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement in response to Maine Family Planning’s (MFP) announcement that they have withdrawn from the Title X program rather than compromise the care they provide to Maine people. The move comes in response to the Administration’s ‘gag rule’, which went into effect this week.

“For nearly 50 years, Maine Family Planning has provided high-quality healthcare to tens of thousands of Maine people, with a particular focus on caring for our most vulnerable citizens,” said Senator King. “But now, these vital services – including cancer screenings, family planning, and other preventive healthcare – are being threatened as part of the Administration’s ongoing fixation with standing between a woman and her doctor. MFP’s loss of Title X funding is a loss for Maine women and families, which will disproportionately hurt those who are already struggling. I won’t stand idly by while Maine people suffer the consequences of the Administration’s dangerous policy – I will keep working to make sure that Americans don’t lose access to critical healthcare.”

Senator King is a staunch defender of women’s access to reproductive health care, and strongly believes that a woman’s health care decisions should be between her and her doctor. Senator King opposed the Administration’s gag rule when it was first announced, and in May, he joined his colleagues in the Senate to introduce a resolution asserting support for women’s reproductive rights. The resolution came on the heels of legislative efforts in Georgia, Alabama, and other states intended to undermine women’s reproductive rights and ultimately overturn Roe v. Wade.