Planned Parenthood will close four of its 12 clinics in Iowa due to budget cuts in the state bill, the abortion group announced Thursday.
The Sioux City, Burlington and Keokuk clinics will close in June, while the Burlington clinic will close down a little later, reports the Washington Examiner.
“Defunding Planned Parenthood will set a health care crisis in motion in Iowa. We will be watching and holding politicians accountable,” Susana de Baca, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland said.
The clinics saw approximately 14,600 patients in the past three years, De Baca added. She maintained that shutting down the clinics would hurt minorities and the poor the most, preventing them from being able to access health care.
Iowa Republican Gov. Terry Branstad signed a bill May 12 that will give up about $3 million in federal Medicaid money so the state can create its own family planning network. The Iowa state government plans to spend $3.3 million on community health clinics that will give health care to the poor but not abortions.
“This is good news for families in the state of Iowa,” said Iowans For Life Director Maggie DeWitte about the closings. “We worked hard this last session to educate legislators and the general public that there are many quality community health centers in Iowa that provide comprehensive healthcare to women and families across the state. And they do so without taking the life of precious human beings.”
Planned Parenthood has shut down clinics in New Mexico and Wyoming recently as well.
Follow Amber on Twitter
Send tips to amber@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.