Michelle Obama to Break Ground on White House Garden

I have been pleased to be part of the "Eat the View" Campaign, a petition asking the Obamas to plant a garden at the White House to showcase the many benefits of gardening: economic, nutritious, physical, emotional, and environmental. 

Michelle Obama is going to break ground at the White House on the South Lawn for the first formal vegetable garden in decades. 

Bravissimo, Michelle! 

TK 

Planned Parenthood in Trouble: Please Call Your Senator

This was posted today. Please post, re-post, and call your senators. Phone number lookup below. 

We have just learned that Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) is expected to attack Planned Parenthood today.  He will offer an amendment to the Appropriations Act this afternoon that would block Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving federal funds from Title X, the nation’s family planning program.

The Title X program enables family planning health centers to provide basic health care, such as birth control, breast exams and Pap tests for early detection of cancer, blood pressure testing, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, HIV screening, and adoption referrals.  Vitter's attack on Planned Parenthood is an anti-choice tactic to prevent women from accessing abortion, but Title X funds cannot be used to provide abortion services — in fact, a main goal of the Title X program is toprevent unintended pregnancies and reduce the need for abortion.

There is a health care crisis in this country, and this amendment would make it more difficult for women, men, teens, and families to get the services they need.  US News recently reported that more and more women are turning to Planned Parenthood health centers in these difficult economic times, and for many other low-income women, men, and teens, Planned Parenthood is their primary source of health care.  Attacking the nation's leading reproductive health care provider and many people’s only option for medical care is unconscionable.  

We need you to call your senators and tell them to stand up and oppose the Vitter amendment.

The Appropriations bill is being voted on this afternoon, so we need you to call today.  Ask your senators to speak out on the floor and oppose Sen. David Vitter’s Amendment No. 601 to the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R.1105).  

Don’t know who your senators are, or what their office telephone numbers are? 
It’s easy to look them up.

Calling your senators is easy (promise!)  You can just tell whomever answers the phone:

Planned Parenthood’s health center is my community’s women’s health center, and I oppose Sen. David Vitter’s Amendment No. 601 to the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R.1105). It is an unconstitutional, completely unfounded attack.

Stand with Planned Parenthood and the millions of women, men, and teens who count on us.  Call your senators and tell them to oppose the Vitter Amendment today!

Thanks so much for all you do, 
Planned Parenthood Action Fund