Tom Waring, the Wire
Shaughnessy Naughton is criticizing Republican congressional candidate Brian Fitzpatrick for views he expressed last week at a candidates forum in Chalfont.
Fitzpatrick, a retired FBI agent, called on the federal government to defund Planned Parenthood.
“I thank Brian Fitzpatrick for his service to our country, but on this issue he is just wrong,” Naughton said. “His views are dangerous and put women and families at risk. As a scientist who researched breast cancer, I know that Planned Parenthood provides vital services to women and families, particularly for breast cancer screenings.”
Some 2.7 million Pennsylvanians use Planned Parenthood health care services such as checkups, cancer screenings, affordable preventive care and HIV and secually transmitted infections testing. Planned Parenthood also provides referrals for women to get mammograms.
Also, Naughton called out Fitzpatrick for what she saw as a non-answer on a question about background checks for all gun purchasers.
“I appreciate Brian’s service to our country, but the voters in Bucks and Montgomery counties deserve to know if he sides with the NRA or 92 percent of Americans,” she said. “I support this commonsense legislation to require all gun buyers to undergo a background check. Additionally, in Congress, I will fight to overturn the NRA’s ban on gun violence research by the Centers for Disease Control. Gun violence is a public health crisis, and we need to study the best methods to fight this epidemic.”
The CDC has been prevented from doing research into gun violence because of legislation passed in 1996 that effectively prohibits research funds from being used “to advocate or promote gun control.”
