Planned Parenthood Federal Funding Targeted by House

Planned Parenthood: A new bill combined with a passed amendment threaten to cut funding to the Planned Parenthood Federation.
Planned Parenthood Federal Funding Targeted by House
2/20/2011
Updated:
2/20/2011
One of the most heated issues in modern American history is again in the spotlight as a new bill combined with a passed amendment threaten to cut funding to the federally supported Planned Parenthood Federation.

It is one of the country’s largest reproductive health organizations, and has been a powerful political lobby for several decades with a firm pro-choice political stance regarding abortion.

Planned Parenthood performs hundreds of thousands of abortions per year, and also gives minors and lower income women access to basic primary and preventive health care, including cancer screenings, contraception, HIV testing, counseling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, and annual exams.

With the recent conservative political power shift in the House, the organization is coming under fire. However, instead of attacking abortion head-on, Republicans are simply aiming to cut its federal funding for it.

Republican Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, in particular, is taking aim at federal funding for the organization.

H.R. 1, the continuing federal appropriations bill for 2011-2012, contains several amendments that aim to reduce, and in some cases eliminate, funding for federally supported programs. The amendments are in sharp contrast to the President’s budget plan.

H.R. 1 would eliminate spending for 149 government programs and reduce spending or rescind funding from about 650 other programs including Planned Parenthood. The bill would additionally reduce spending for other areas including agriculture and even the military by several billion dollars. Republicans are arguing that the cuts could potentially save the country several hundreds of billions of dollars.

Amendment 11, sponsored by Rep. Pence, would direct that none of the funds set by H.R. 1 would or could be used for any purpose by Planned Parenthood Federation of America or any of its affiliate organizations for any reason. The amendment passed last week with bipartisan support by a margin of 240-185.

“This afternoon’s vote is a victory for taxpayers and a victory for life,” stated Rep. Pence regarding the amendment on his website. “By banning federal funding to Planned Parenthood, Congress has taken a stand for millions of Americans who believe their tax dollars should not be used to subsidize the largest abortion provider in America.”

Pence added commendations for his colleagues on both sides of the aisle “for taking a stand for taxpayers and a stand for life.” He added that he hopes the legislation will lead to an end to federal funding of Planned Parenthood “once and for all.”

Mike Pence said in a speech to Congress on February 17, that “this bill would not cut funds for health services, but simply block funds already in place from subsidizing America’s largest abortion provider.”

Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.), also supported the amendment.

“Mr. Chairman, it’s time Americans, especially policymakers, health officials, the media, and law enforcement, took a second and critical look at Planned Parenthood,” stated Rep. Smith on his website.

“Not only does Planned Parenthood vigorously lobby and litigate against parental notification and parental consent laws, thus enabling secret abortions for very, very young girls to be procured in their clinics, but now we’ve learned from recent undercover taped investigations at several of its clinics that Planned Parenthood employees were found to be more than eager to assist people posing as sex traffickers to procure abortions for under aged girls,” continued Smith.

H.R. 217, the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, also sponsored by Rep. Pence, contains similar measures. H.R. 217 is currently in committee for review. The purpose of the Title X bill is almost identical to Amendment 11 in H.R. 1, and aims “to amend title X of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions, and for other purposes.”

100 members of Congress sent a letter opposing H.R. 217 to House Speaker John Boehner earlier this month, pointing out that under the Hyde Amendment, it is already prohibited for federal funds to be used for abortions.

The letter stated in part that cutting the funding “would prove destructive to American women and their families by dismantling the nation’s network of family-planning health clinics.”

It further stated that the amendment shows Republicans’ “disregard for women with limited access to reproductive health care, particularly those with minimal incomes.”

Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood, issued a scathing statement against the attacks on her organization on Friday.

“...the amendment to prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding does nothing to reduce the deficit and it does nothing to improve the economy,” stated Richards. “In fact, health professionals will actually lose their jobs as a result, and, most egregiously, it takes health care away from American women who cannot afford to pay for it on their own.”