Planned Parenthood has officially thrown its support behind Hillary Clinton’s campaign, marking the first time the taxpayer-funded abortion giant has waded into a presidential primary, the Associated Press reported Sunday.
According to the AP, the Democratic presidential candidate accepted the endorsement Sunday during a campaign stop in New Hampshire:
Accepting the endorsement Sunday in New Hampshire, Clinton sought to energize her Democratic base with a passionate pledge to always protect reproductive rights. And she painted a dark picture of what women's health care would look like under a Republican president, singling out two of the top Republican contenders by name.
"Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and their powerful friends may be trying to drag us back to the Stone Age, but we've got our sights set on the future," Clinton said.
And she offered a nod to the competitive state of her own primary in the first voting states.
"I need your help, starting here in the New Hampshire primary and Iowa caucus," she said. "We can win this election."
One CNN report says Clinton pledged her support to Planned Parenthood during her endorsement acceptance speech, saying:
"I will always defend Planned Parenthood and I will say consistently and proudly, Planned Parenthood should be funded, supported and protected, not undermined, misrepresented and demonized. As your president, I will always have your back."
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards called Clinton a “fighter” who would counter “extreme” pro-life Republican candidates.
The AP also states that “[t]he group plans to spend at least $20 million in the 2016 campaign.”