On Monday, Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) introduced the Paycheck Protection Integrity Act. The legislation would require the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and its affiliates to return funds that they received through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that is administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Though it was not supposed to, the Planned Parenthood abortion business improperly applied for and received $80 million in federal funds meant to support small businesses as they battle the economic fallout from the coronavirus.
“Planned Parenthood and its affiliates, the largest abortion providers in the country, broke the rules and applied for millions of dollars in PPP loans even though they were not eligible,” said Congresswoman Lesko. “The Treasury Department has asked the affiliates to return the money, and this legislation will require them to do so. This money was intended to assist our country’s most vulnerable small businesses during the Coronavirus pandemic, not abortion providers; they must return these funds.”
Leading pro-life groups support the bill.
“Taxpayer funds should not be used to prop up Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider with over $1 billion in assets,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “We thank Congresswoman Lesko for leading the effort to have taxpayer funds returned so that those funds can be used to benefit businesses truly in need.”
The large corporation Planned Parenthood received $80 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program meant for small businesses. That is despite the fact that the rules and regulations associated with the program specifically prohibited affiliates of larger organizations with more than 500 employees from applying. That covers Planned Parenthood as Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PFFA) alone has had more than 600 employees.
SSome 37 Planned Parenthood affiliates received the funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), despite the abortion corporation being explicitly blocked from doing so. Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties in California received the largest loan of $7.5 million, and that affiliate was caught selling the body parts of aborted babies.
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“The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to protect small businesses not the nation’s largest abortion provider with over 16,000 employees,” said Tobias.
In its most recent 2018-2019 Annual Report, Planned Parenthood reports performing 345,672 abortions for 2018, the most the organization has ever reported. That figure represents 40.1% of all abortions the Guttmacher Institute says were performed in the U.S. in 2017 (the most recent year available). This continues to cement Planned Parenthood’s reputation as the country’s top abortion performer and promoter.
Planned Parenthood’s most recent annual report also notes that the organization continues to boast over $1 billion in assets.
The Paycheck Protection Program Integrity Act would require the return of all $80 million within 30 days of enactment of the legislation.
