Standing up for what you believe in while going against your party is never easy, but for Congressman Richard Hanna (NY-24) it has become routine. As a Republican in a House of Representatives led by opponents of women’s health, Hanna has refused to go along with vicious attacks on women’s health programs and initiatives. He bucked the trend (and party leadership) on a number of key votes to do what he knows is right: protect women’s health care.

Since his election in 2010, Representative Hanna has been an outspoken advocate of women’s health. When out-of-touch representatives in the House pushed for an amendment that would have cut off federal funding to Planned Parenthood, Hanna fought back. One of only seven Republicans to vote against the bill, he called the cuts, which would affect nearly three million patients, “draconian.”

When a bill was introduced that would allow doctors and hospitals to deny care to a woman seeking an abortion even when her life is at risk, Hanna stood up and spoke out. Why? Because he believes that regardless of one’s personal opinion on abortion, “individuals should be free to make that difficult and personal decision without undue government involvement.” He was one of only two Republicans to vote against this incredibly dangerous bill.

Hanna has done more than just vote against bad legislation; he has taken the initiative to protect women’s health in a number of other ways. Just last November, he co-sponsored a bipartisan letter to encourage the Department of Health and Human Services to further expand access to health care for women in underserved communities.

Congressman Hanna gets the big picture. He understands that while abortion is a complex and difficult issue, it is best left up to a woman, her family, her faith, and her doctor — not politicians who are hoping to advance their own political agenda.

In a society where conformity is common and partisanship takes precedent, Representative Hanna is paving his own path. Fighting for what he believes in, Hanna has been an advocate for women in his district and an example to many of his fellow members of Congress.

KEY VOTES

• Voted “NO” on H. Con Res 36, a proposal to bar Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds to provide preventative health care.
• Voted “NO” on the King amendment, which would cut funding to the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act and result in restricted health care access for millions of women.
• Voted “NO” on the draconian Protect Life Act, which would allow hospitals and primary care givers to deny a woman an abortion, even when her life is at risk.