Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf would force state taxpayers to give an additional $3 million to the largest abortion chain in America, Planned Parenthood.
Wolf, a pro-abortion Democrat who used to volunteer at Planned Parenthood, included the funding in his proposed budget this month after the Trump administration defunded the abortion chain through the Title X program, PennLive reports.
State pro-life organizations quickly noticed the proposed funding, earmarked “Access to Reproductive Health Care,” and raised the alarm to state taxpayers.
“The governor appears to be trying to sneak in funding for an organization that performs and promotes the taking of innocent human life. This is appalling,” said Maria V. Gallagher, legislative director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, an affiliate of National Right to Life.
Pennsylvania Family Institute president Michael Geer noted that Planned Parenthood in Pennsylvania reported more than $2.6 million in profits during the last reporting year, and half of their abortion facilities failed state health inspections in 2019. It also is the largest abortion chain in Pennsylvania, aborting more than 17,000 babies annually.
“And now Gov. Wolf wants to send millions of taxpayer dollars to this group? I hope our citizens and our General Assembly just say no,” Geer said.
However, Wolf’s spokesperson J.J. Abbott defended the funding proposal in a statement to the local news.
“After the Trump administration restricted millions of dollars from funding important women’s health clinics, Governor Wolf wants the state to ensure women are not put at risk,” Abbott said. “He believes the Commonwealth should step up and ensure no women are denied health services because of a political decision by the Trump administration.”
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The decision to stop providing Title X health care to women actually was Planned Parenthood’s. The abortion chain could have continued to receive Title X funds if it stopped doing abortions or completely separated its abortion business from its actual health services. But it refused – choosing to prioritize the killing of unborn babies over providing actual health care to low income patients.
Title X provides family planning services to low-income individuals, including birth control, cancer screenings and other services. Last year, the Trump administration implemented a new rule to ensure that Title X funds are not used to subsidize abortions. Planned Parenthood refused to comply with the rule and gave up about $60 million in funding nationally.
Planned Parenthood’s annual reports indicate that it does not need the money. Nationally, its annual reports show shrinking patient numbers and health services, and increasing abortion numbers and taxpayer funding.
It is becoming very apparent that Planned Parenthood’s focus is abortion, and tax dollars do fund its vast abortion business.
Gallagher said polls consistently show that most Americans oppose taxpayer funding for abortions. She urged state lawmakers to protect taxpayers and innocent unborn babies.
“The policy of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is to promote childbirth over abortion. How can we trust that Pennsylvanians’ hard-earned tax dollars will be protected from abortion?”
In other states, pro-abortion politicians also are trying to restore funding to the nation’s largest abortion provider through their state budgets. Last week, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont proposed $1.5 million for Planned Parenthood in his budget, even though his state is suffering financially. And in January, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill forcing taxpayers to pay an additional $9.5 million to the Planned Parenthood abortion chain in their state.
Pennsylvania’s governor has close ties to the abortion industry. He once volunteered as an escort at a Planned Parenthood abortion facility. In 2018, his re-election campaign received a record $1.5 million in support from Planned Parenthood. He also appointed several people from the abortion chain to his administration, including his chief of staff.
Planned Parenthood is a $1.6 billion dollar “nonprofit” that did more than 345,000 abortions last year. It also donates tens of millions of dollars to pro-abortion politicians’ campaigns.
ACTION: Contact Pennsylvania lawmakers to urge opposition to funding Planned Parenthood.
