With the recent elections as well as the scandal surrounding Planned Parenthood, Republicans in Congress have called for the organization to be defunded, if only for one year. “This legislation threatens millions of people’s access to preventative health care,” Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said in a statement Thursday. “In their obsession with attacking women's access to health care, extremist members of Congress would take away basic health care from the people who need it most - those who are struggling to get by, who dependent on Medicaid or who lack health insurance, and those who live in areas with few medical options. What they don't realize is that cutting funds to an organization that serves millions of women and families could result in a higher birth rate, a higher number of unintended pregnancies, and a higher risk of death. 'IST. Many Planned Parenthood patients rely on the company for contraceptives and health care. Without funding, many women's basic human and sexual rights would be compromised.