Two pro-life members of Congress are responding to the new Komen statement making it appear Planned Parenthood may possibly still be eligible for funding beyond those grants approved prior to its December 2008 decision.
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers of Washington released the following statement from her office in Washington this afternoon:
“I am deeply disappointed in the sudden reversal by the Komen Foundation of their original pledge to cut ties with Planned Parenthood – the nation’s largest abortion provider. Their original stance to stop funding pending an important congressional investigation was an act of courage and prudence, making their sudden reversal today appear hollow and weak,” she said.
Ellmers added: “As a nurse and mother, I will continue to champion the sanctity of life and women’s health, regardless of contemporary trends…and sometimes that takes the courage to do what is right, not what is convenient.”
Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, agreed.
“I’m extremely disappointed in Komen’s decision to restore Planned Parenthood’s eligibility for funding. While Komen now claims that they don’t want their mission to be ‘marred by politics,’ unfortunately it seems that Komen caved to political pressure from the pro-abortion movement and its enforcers in the media,” he said.
“There are millions of pro-life Americans who support Komen’s work in breast cancer research, prevention and education. By providing funds to the nation’s leading abortion provider – which does not even provide mammograms – Komen is asking its supporters who care about protecting the unborn to violate their own consciences,” said Vitter. [related]
Earlier this week, Vitter applauded Komen’s announcement that it would stop giving grants to Planned Parenthood. Vitter sent a letter to Komen founder and CEO Nancy Brinker last year urging her to end Komen’s association with Planned Parenthood and give the grant money directly to mammogram providers
Vitter’s wife, Wendy, currently serves as president of the board of the Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans (CAGNO), and has been on the board for more than 20 years.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said the Susan G. Komen foundation’s new statement is a “reversal” and one she applauds.
“We certainly will be able to support them as we have in the past,” Pelosi told reporters, according to The Hill, saying the baclash is “a question of what other people in the country think about it.”
“It was an unfortunate situation but it was dealt with in a short period of time, [and] I commend the Susan G. Komen foundation for seeing the light on this,” Pelosi added. “[It] just goes to show you, when women speak out, women win. Women’s health has a big victory this morning.”
“I can only take [the group] at its word,” Pelosi said. “They made one decision, and now they have reversed it, with a good outcome. I think we should just go forward with that outcome and focus on … women’s health.”
