Cecile Richards: President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America June 14, 2011

President of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards will discuss the current status of sexual and reproductive health care in this county and what lies ahead for her organization. She will outline the main arguments made by both parties in the budget debate over abortion that nearly shut down the federal government. She will also look at the implications of the decrease in funding for her organization and what how that will affect the nation at large.

This year, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading provider of sexual and reproductive health care for women, found itself at the center of a congressional budget debate that almost shut down the United States government. The debate was not over the amount of funds, as the $75 million to be allocated to the organization was tiny in proportion to the overall budget, but was centered on the principle behind it. Conservatives were vehemently opposed to using public funds to help an organization that is the largest provider of abortions in the nation. Following the congressional debate, Richards vowed to continue providing affordable health care to women across the United States. Named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2011, Richards is one of the country’s leading voices in support of women’s rights, sex education and reproductive health.