Partisan battles have gone too far.

The congressional arguments concerning Planned Parenthood may have ended, but legal battles across the nation are targeting the woman’s health clinic. Joining states such as North Carolina, South Dakota and Wisconsin, Texas has now stepped up to the plate in attempts to defund Planned Parenthood and save $400 million over the next biennium by increasing health care efficiency.

The bill, SB 7, explicitly prohibits the Texas Women’s Health Program from using any federal or state funds to “perform or promote elective abortions, or to contract with entities that perform or promote elective abortions or affiliate with entities that perform or promote elective abortions.” They key word, of course, being “entities” as Planned Parenthood is currently one of the largest “entities” in providing Women’s Health Program services.

Currently, Republicans are arguing that “planned parenthood is not essential to women health care.” President of Live Action, Lila Rose, argued in a Fox News opinion piece that “Planned Parenthood’s number one priority is an abortion agenda, and the profits from abortions, not women.”

Really? Abortion is their number one agenda? Let’s break down the facts here.

Planned Parenthood has served the nation for over 90 years as the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care provider for women. In 2008, Planned Parenthood provided more than five million people worldwide with the tools they needed to make responsible choices about their sexual health.

According to the organization’s 2008 statistics, 97 percent of their services consist of aiding women in receiving contraception, STI/STD testing and treatment, cancer screening and prevention, and other miscellaneous services such as pregnancy and fertility tests. This leaves only three percent of their services being dedicated to providing abortion.

Let me repeat that one more time: three percent goes toward abortion. But wait, didn’t Lisa Rose say that “Planned Parenthood’s number one priority is an abortion agenda”?

If that isn’t enough to consider, let’s also consider that since 2005 it has been illegal for health providers to use state funding for abortion services. So even if the state does provide money to Planned Parenthood, none of it goes toward providing abortions for women.

Hmm. Something’s not matching up here.

Let’s face it Republicans. America is no longer the “Leave It to Beaver” image of the working husband and housewife. People have sex before marriage, and not everyone can afford to work with our messed up healthcare system. If Republicans accepted this, they would know that this isn’t about abortion. This is about health and family planning, which are essential to the stability of our nation. Already earlier budget battles in the session have reduced state funds for family planning by $73 million, leaving many uninsured women in a precarious position.

In fact, let’s clarify “precarious.” There are approximately 125,000 uninsured or under-insured women who qualify for the Women’s Health Program, which is about to be drastically weakened. On top of that there’s an estimated 300,000 Texas women who will lose basic health care coverage.

Texas Republicans need to know that these facts make this a war against women, not a war against abortion – a piece of knowledge that will cost them dearly in the 2012 elections if they continue to ignore it.