Abortion Protest Staged Outside Planned Parenthood Fundraiser
Planned Parenthood Event Draws Protest
(CBS) -- Planned Parenthood of Illinois hosted a major fundraiser at Navy Pier as opponents of abortion rights stood outside, many hoisting graphic photos of aborted fetuses.
Activist Sandra Fluke was the main honoree. The Georgetown University law school student became a household name last year when a talk show host called her a prostitute because she tried to lobby Congress for mandatory health care coverage of birth control.
The Pro-Life Action League's Eric Scheidler organized the protest outside. He said employers should be able to decide whether to cover birth control.
"They pay employees," Scheidler said. "The employees can do what they want with the salaries they get to buy contraceptives or get abortions. That shouldn't be forced upon employers to provide free of charge."
Fluke said the fight is far from over.
"I think that's a fight about making sure that health care access belongs to everyone in this country," she said.
Fluke has moved on from that controversy and now is lobbying in support of extending Affordable Care Act coverage to the undocumented. She said many things can go wrong with a woman's health, with or without insurance coverage.
She said the immigration bill now before the Senate would deny those seeking citizenship coverage under the act for up to 15 years.
Scheidler called Planned Parenthood "Abortion Inc."
