Romney: Eliminate Taxpayer Funding for Planned Parenthood

Politics   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 3, 2011   |   6:00PM   |   Washington, DC

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has a new opinion column in USA Today in which he advocates numerous ways to balance the federal budget, one of which involves eliminate funding to Planned Parenthood.

“President Obama inherited a severely imbalanced budget, and he made it much worse. Many now question whether we can ever return to fiscal sanity, let alone fiscal strength,” Romney writes. “A point of no return may well be approaching — a decade of huge deficits could drive our principal payments and interest rates beyond our reach while starving the economy of the capital it needs to grow.”

“There are three ways to reduce spending, which combined, will achieve a fiscal turnaround of this size,” the former Massachusetts governor continues. “First, eliminate every government program that is not absolutely essential. There are many things government does that we may like but that we do not need. The test should be this: “Is this program so critical that it is worth borrowing money to pay for it?” The federal government should stop doing things we don’t need or can’t afford.”

Romney proposes repealing Obamacare — which pro-life groups virtually unanimously opposed because of concerns related to taxpayer funding of abortions, rationing issues, and lack of conscience protections for pro-life medical workers. He says that will save $95 billion in 2016.

The fourth item on Romney’s list is one that will delight the pro-life voters he needs to secure the GOP nomination to face Obama:  “Eliminate Title X family planning programs benefiting abortion groups like Planned Parenthood.”

Romney previously pledged to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business in October during his speech before the Values Voter Summit.

“Our values must also encompass the life of an unborn child,” Romney told the thousands of pro-life advocates gathered for the Family Research Council event. “There are, of course, strong convictions on both sides of this issue. Yet it speaks well of our country that almost all Americans recognize that abortion is a problem.”

“The law may call it a right, but no one ever called it a good. And in the quiet of conscience, people of both political parties know that more than a million abortions a year can’t be squared with the good heart of America,” Romney said.

The former governor pivoted from a philosophical position to talking about his political views and what he would do if elected president.

“I support the Hyde Amendment, which broadly bars the use of federal funds for abortions,” Romney said, “As president, I’ll end federal funding for abortion advocates like Planned Parenthood. I’ll protect a health care worker’s right to follow their conscience in their work.”

“I will nominate judges who know the difference between personal opinion and law. It is long past time for the Supreme Court to return the issue of abortion back to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade,” he added.