Report Shows Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz Got $650 Million in Taxpayer Funds
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 16, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A new Government Accountability Office report shows the Planned Parenthood abortion business reported spending over $650 million in federal funds over a seven year period. That averages to just under $100 million in federal funds each year and is something pro-life groups and lawmakers on Capitol Hill want to see ended.
The new 33-page report concerns how much federal money the Planned Parenthood Federation of America is receiving and from what sources — with most of the funds coming from the Title X family planning program.
Combining the money received from the Health and Human Services department and USAID, the GAO report indicates Planned Parenthood received $657.1 million in federal funds.
The report also shows the pro-abortion group Population Council, which sponsored the dangerous abortion drug RU 486, received $284.3 million in federal funds as well for its international family planning efforts. And the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion group that does research on abortion statistics, received $12.7 million.
Advocates for Youth, another pro-abortion group, received $8.7 million from the federal government and the International Planned Parenthood Federation received $3.9 million.
Combined, the pro-abortion organizations received more than $1 billion in taxpayer dollars from the federal government over the 2002-2009 period GAO analyzed.
Although the money does not directly pay for abortions, which is stopped in most part by the Hyde amendment, the report makes it clear that federal funds are propping up the abortion industry.
Family Research Council fellow Ken Blackwell commented on the numbers.
"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," he said.
"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," Blackwell added.
Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana has sponsored the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, which would bring an end to funding for abortion advocates and it has earned the support of pro-life groups and lawmakers.
Rep. Pete Olson a pro-life Texas congressman, requested the support along with numerous pro-life members of the House of Representatives, including Congressman Chris Smith, the head of the House Pro-Life Caucus.
Students for Life of America director Kristan Hawkins also weighed in on the new report.
“The level of government accountability concerning the largest abortion provider in America is appalling," she told LifeNews.com.
In light of these findings, her group is calling for increased inspection into the dealings of Planned Parenthood, and she noted how her group and others have shown the abortion business to be violating state sexual abuse reporting and parental involvement laws.
“With $650 million spent by Planned Parenthood, where has the taxpayers’ money gone to? In light of our current economic crisis, it is not prudent of the US Government to keep funding abortions with taxpayer dollars," Hawkins said.
Several lawmakers appeared at a press conference along with representatives of Live Action, Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America to reveal the alarming amount of taxpayer funding supporting the work of abortion businesses and advocates.
In addition to Smith and Olson, Reps. Jim Jordan and Jean Schmidt of Ohio, Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Trent Franks of Arizona, John Fleming, M.D, of Louisiana, Walter Jones of North Carolina, and Paul Broun, M.D. of Georgia appeared.
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