Editorial: One Billion Tax Dollars? Congressman Smith is Right, Defund Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is built on a lie

On Wednesday June 16, 2010 Pro-Life elected Representatives and Leaders held a Press Conference to release an audit report from the Government Accountability Office.The results are staggering. Taxpayers have given these groups over 1 billion dollars over the period of 2002- 2009, through Federal funding. This figure does not include additional State and Federal funding.

P>WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - On Wednesday June 16, 2010 Pro-Life elected Representatives and Leaders held a press Conference to release an audit report from the Government Accountability Office. The Audit was requested by 31 lawmakers who sought to ascertain how many Federal Tax dollars have been given to groups which advocate for the killing of children in the womb by intentional abortion. The results are staggering. Taxpayers have given these groups over 1 billion dollars over the period of 2002- 2009, through Federal funding.

Here are the groups, all of which promote abortion or provide abortion: Advocates for Youth,  $8.7 million (2002-2009); the Guttmacher Institute, $12.7 million (2002-2008); International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), $93.8 million (2002-2009); Planned Parenthood Federation of America, $657.1 million (2002-2008); Population Council of the United States, $284.3 million (2002-2008); Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), $1.6 million (2002-2009).

This figure does not include additional State and Federal funding. The GAO report disclosed that its own Audit report "may understate the actual amount of federal funds the selected organizations and their affiliates spent."

Ken Blackwell, a personal friend and guest contributor to Catholic Online, is the Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment at the Family Research Council. He made this comment concerning those who claim that the funds do not necessarily end up being used for abortion: "Giving taxpayer money to organizations that promote and provide abortion, even if the money is not used for that purpose, frees up other funds for abortion purposes and gives the government's stamp of approval to their abortion related activities.

"By funding Planned Parenthood and their allies, we are unwittingly supporting an abortion organization and everything they do. When taxpayer money goes to abortion groups for any reason, it supports the work of the abortion industry. We should not let abortion companies benefit financially from taxpayer funds.

"We urge Congress to bring an end to funding for abortion providers by enacting the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act. We applaud Congressman Mike Pence for introducing this commonsense bill which would simply ensure that funds go to organizations that are not in the abortion business."

I examined Planned Parenthood's 2007-2008 Annual Report last year. As a 501 c3 organization (with an affiliated "Action fund" for its more overtly political efforts) they have to make the report available to the public. I well understand the role and function of such reports having led not for profits groups in the past. It keeps members, supporters and friends aware of the organizations use of their funds and gives the organization the opportunity to self promote.

Planned Parenthood is built on a lie. They dress themselves up as a "Health Care Provider" while they include the taking of the lives of innocent children in the womb as a "service" under their offering of "reproductive services". They have insinuated themselves into the global delivery of "medical services" receiving massive government funding as this report clearly confirms. Included in these "medical services" is the killing of children in the womb.

There is nothing "reproductive" about abortion, it always kills a human person. It is certainly not a service to the child, the mother, the father or society. Nor is it "health care". It is feticide. Funding it is morally repugnant. Extracting Tax Dollars from us to do it is maddening.

Their 2007 - 2008 Report took their claims to a level of audacity which I have never seen. As a part of their outreach to "clergy" who condone their work, they honored a woman who refers to the killing of children in the womb through surgical strikes and chemical weapons as "Sacred Work" and "Prophetic Work".

They gave her the "Davis Award", named after Reverend Tom Davis, a minister in the United Church of Christ and his wife. Davis wrote a book entitled "Abortion -- Is it Necessary?" in which he contended that the "sacred work of justice," requires that America provide abortions to women. He is the chair of the "Clergy Advisory Board" of Planned Parenthood

In the early paragraphs of the report they claimed "Planned Parenthood is the leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider, with 93 years under our belt. And in the near future, we will play a unique role in helping to shape the health agenda for the new administration." They have certainly succeeded in their prediction. The current Administration is their greatest ally.

Congressman Chris Smith was present at the Press Conference. He is a Pro-Life Champion and co-chair of the bipartisan congressional Pro-Life Caucus. He noted that "since Obama's election, U.S. subsidies to the abortion industry at home and abroad have significantly increased."

One of the first things President Obama did in Office was to lift the Mexico City Policy. It had prohibited tax dollars from being used to fund abortion overseas. That act has added an additional $648 million to international abortion advocacy groups such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

In his characteristically straightforward manner, Congressman Smith stated, "It's time for Americans and especially Congress to take a second look and defund it. Defund Planned Parenthood-Child Abuse Inc."

We agree. 

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