Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel was honored by Planned Parenthood on Wednesday night for championing women’s reproductive rights both domestically and abroad. The 11-term Congressman has been a long-time supporter of Planned Parenthood, and of a woman’s right to choose. He is the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee.

Rep. Engel said, “I am deeply honored by this recognition and would like to thank Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the PPFA President Cecile Richards for this tribute and for all of the hard work they do for women and families around the world. I strongly believe in a woman’s right to choose and will continue to work towards a day when women across the world are able to control their own bodies without interference.”

Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, comprehensive sex education and information to millions of women and men in the United States and throughout the world. Furthermore, Planned Parenthood is a leading advocate in the United States and abroad for expanding and protecting reproductive rights. Planned Parenthood’s 850 domestic centers provide millions with critical reproductive care and education, and the International Planned Parenthood Federation does the same with its local partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

“Rep. Engel is a strong and tireless advocate for women’s health and rights both domestically and internationally,” said Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Cecile Richards. “We thank him for his leadership, celebrate his commitment, and are honored to work with him on these critical issues. As one of the most internationally minded members of Congress, Rep. Engel has visited scores of countries, and seen firsthand the need to make women’s health a priority across the globe.”

Reina Schifflin, CEO of Planned Parenthood, Hudson-Peconic, said, “Congressman Engel is our quiet giant - faithfully working with us to advance and promote reproductive rights and reproductive health care services. He understands the difficult decisions that women and their families face every day. We know that we can count on him to vote for choice – to protect choice here in the U.S. and to improve women’s health globally.”

Rep. Engel said, “As Congress continues to negotiate health reform this year, I am grateful for the leadership provided by Planned Parenthood. Their counsel has been invaluable as I have worked tirelessly with my colleagues to fight a slew of anti-choice amendments in committee, which would have had a regressive effect on our laws.”

Rep. Engel said he was confident that the Obama Administration would continue to promote evidence-based reproductive education, a welcome change from the “abstinence-only” policies of the Bush Administration. “Empowering people with reproductive knowledge drives down teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and the number of abortions, while abstinence-only creates the opposite effect,” said Rep. Engel.

He also sharply criticized the “Global Gag Rule,” the nation’s policy under President Bush. This policy prevented U.S. funding for family planning services and clinics overseas if they offered abortion-related services, even if the funding came from non-government sources. President Obama reversed this policy almost immediately after taking office.

“President Obama’s action, coupled with his re-engagement in the Caribbean and Latin America, has been a welcome change to the policies promoted for the last eight years. I look forward to working with Planned Parenthood in this environment domestically and internationally and I am certain we can make a difference in the lives of millions of women and their families as a result,” said Rep. Engel.