A Planned Parenthood clinic in Syracuse is taking part in a national campaign to bring awareness to the organization as its federal funding remains uncertain. Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner showed her support and took some jabs at congressional Republicans.
Miner helped jam in 60 bright pink "I stand with Planned Parenthood" lawn signs into the front yard of a clinic in Syracuse Wednesday. She spoke personally about coming to this clinic and using Planned Parenthood when she was in college at Syracuse University. And she called on elected officials to visit a clinic before they make a decision that would jeopardize Planned Parenthood funding, with a nod towards Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus).
“You cannot rail against poverty in the city of Syracuse on one day, and then the next day take away Planned Parenthood," Miner said. "You cannot say you are concerned about opioid addiction on a Tuesday and then on a Wednesday, allow your party to gut healthcare. When you see Republicans making decisions about healthcare in private because they're scarred to show what the details of those health bills will do, make no mistake, that is anti-democratic and it is damaging people in our country and it will damage people in the city of Syracuse."
This led to a war of words between Katko and Miner. Katko's office said Miner chose to highlight a naturally divisive topic rather than focus on the issues plaguing Syracuse. They released the following statement:
Congressman Katko has and will continue to support robust funding to ensure women and families in Central New York have access to healthcare. Stephanie Miner's tenure as mayor has been defined by systematic poverty, record murder rates, crumbling infrastructure, failed schools, and divisive partisan politics. Instead of focusing the remaining time of her troubled tenure on addressing the issues that plague our City, the Mayor chose today to, once again, highlight a naturally divisive topic. This is a desperate move by a failed politician seeking to remain relevant on her way out the door. The Mayor should either resign her job and commit full time to protesting partisan issues, or stand up and lead our City.
But the mayor insisted this is not about her political ambition.
“This is about saying federal government, make sure that you listen to people, that you talk to people, and you’re not making decisions in the dark that are going to disenfranchise and do incredible damage to the people of the city of Syracuse,” Miner said.
On Thursday, she invited Katko to participate in a public forum on the Republican healthcare bills. Katko's office issued another statement.
For the second day in a row, Stephanie Miner spent her time leading a partisan protest instead of focusing her time on addressing the embarrassing number of issues that plague the City of Syracuse. Sadly, this type of failed leadership is what we have come to expect from Stephanie Miner. Syracuse elected a Mayor, not a professional protester.
The House and Senate plans to replace the Affordable Care Act would defund Planned Parenthood. Executive director of the western and central New York chapter of Planned Parenthood, Betty DeFazio, said that would be devastating to women's reproductive health.
"Many of those patients rely on Planned Parenthood as their only provider of care," DeFazio said. "Many of those patients are seeking care in medically underserved areas, in rural areas, where there are no other providers and where physicians and other practitioners are not jumping up to take Medicaid."
In western and central New York, 40,000 patients in 18 counties visit Planned Parenthood clinics each year.
