A new attempt by Republicans to cut funding for Planned Parenthood prompted fighting words from U.S. Senator Patty Murray and other Senate Democrats in a hastily called press conference Friday at the U.S. Capitol.

Republicans in Washington announced Friday that a reconciliation bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act would also include measures to defund Planned Parenthood.

Murray, Washington state’s senior senator, called the Republican plan “outrageous.”

“We are here to say we are outraged, as women of the Senate,” Murray said.

“This Congress just came into session. The first thing they did was try and change the ethics rule. The second thing they did is their attempt to take away health care from millions of women – and now they’re going to defund Planned Parenthood,” she added.

“This is the party that ran saying we are going to fight to make sure that our workers and families have a better chance in America.

“And what are they doing? They are taking away women’s opportunity to be who they want to be economically, and to make their own health care choices.

“We are outraged — and we are going to fight back every step of the way,” Murray said.

Murray said the Republicans’ plan was reminiscent of 2010, when Republicans campaigned on jobs and the economy.

“What was the first thing they did? Introduced legislation to defund Planned Parenthood,” Murray said.

Murray joined with U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and other senators Friday in signing a letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan that warned Republicans against continuing “down this harmful, partisan path” that would put politics ahead of the wellbeing and lives of women at risk.

“We urge you to put those patients’ needs ahead of scoring political points,” the letter said.

The letter was also signed by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NV), Mazie K Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

In the letter, the senators also noted that most Americans support Planned Parenthood.

“An overwhelming share of Americans — 69 percent of voters including 56 percent of Republicans — support Planned Parenthood and oppose shutting down the federal government over its funding,” they wrote.

“One in five women uses Planned Parenthood as her primary means of health care. In fact, Planned Parenthood serves 2.5 million patients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 60 percent of whom are women and families who are Medicaid beneficiaries. In one-fifth of the counties in which they are located, Planned Parenthood sites are the sole safety-net family planning center,” they added.

At Friday’s press conference, Murray said Democrats would stand against the Republican assault on Planned Parenthood.

“We are going to stand and fight for millions of women in this country for their access to their health care to be able to make decisions for themselves,” she said. “We want you to know, we are here every step of the way to fight back – this is wrong.”