CONCORD, N.H. (AP) 鈥� Cecile Richards, a national leader for abortion access and women鈥檚 rights who led Planned Parenthood for 12 tumultuous years, has died. She was 67.
Richards died Monday at home 鈥渟urrounded by family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie,鈥� her family said in a statement.
鈥淥ur hearts are broken today but no words can do justice to the joy she brought to our lives,鈥� the family said.
Richards, the daughter of the late Texas Gov. Ann Richards, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2023, five years after
Though Planned Parenthood also provides birth control, cancer screenings and testing for sexually transmitted diseases at clinics nationwide, its status as the nation鈥檚 leading abortion provider has long made it a lightning rod for debate. Richards played a prominent role in pushing back against criticism during her tenure as president and beyond.
In 2015, she spent hours from Republican U.S. House members who later created an investigative panel to probe Planned Parenthood鈥檚 abortion and fetal-tissue policies. In 2021, that the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 inaction on Texas鈥� restrictive abortion law could signal the end of judicial checks and balances on the issue. And after the court in 2022, she continued to speak out.
鈥淥ne day, our children and grandchildren may ask us, 鈥榃hen it was all on the line, what did you do?鈥欌�� she said at the Democratic National Convention in August. 鈥淭he only acceptable answer is, 鈥楨verything we could.鈥欌��
President Joe Biden, who awarded Richards the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November, on Monday called her a 鈥渓eader of utmost character.鈥�
鈥淐ecile fearlessly led us forward to be the America we say we are,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淐arrying her mom鈥檚 torch for justice, she championed some of our Nation鈥檚 most important civil rights causes. She fought for the dignity of workers, defended and advanced women鈥檚 reproductive rights and equality, and mobilized our fellow Americans to exercise their power to vote.鈥�
Alexis McGill Johnson, current president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, called Richards an 鈥渋ndomitable force.鈥�
鈥淎s we continue to navigate uncharted territory, we will be able to meet the challenges we face in large part because of the movement Cecile built over decades,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 know, without a doubt, that Cecile would tell us the best way to honor her memory is to suit up 鈥� preferably in pink 鈥� link arms, and fight like hell for Planned Parenthood patients across the country.鈥�
In her Democratic convention speech, Richards described the joy of becoming a grandmother in 2023 and quoted her mother when referring to Kamala Harris' presidential campaign as a 鈥渃elebration of women.鈥�
鈥淎s my mother, Gov. Ann Richards, would say, 鈥業 hear America singing,'" she said. 鈥淲hen women are free to make their own decisions about their lives and to follow our dreams, we are unstoppable.鈥�
Holly Ramer, The Associated Press
