Abortion Opponents Lobby to Remove Planned Parenthood Funding

Anti-choice forces are aiming to end government subsidies received by Planned Parenthood that total $335 million a year. Claiming that these funds indirectly finance abortions, The Family Research Council has developed a toolkit to help anti-choice forces lobby government officials to take "a second look" at Planned Parenthood's need for funding. The argument for defunding Planned Parenthood also cites the organization’s revenue and the budget crises faced by many state and local governments.

"We're very limited as to what we can do but on the local level, there are a lot of victories to be had," said Thomas McClusky, Vice President of Government Affairs at The Family Research Council. Scott Tibbs, an anti-choice activist told the Wall Street Journal, "The money needs to go to local organizations that actually need it and don’t have the backing of a multimillion-dollar organization."

Described as a "lifeline for millions of people," Planned Parenthood states, according to the Daily Women's Health Policy Report that funds received from state and local governments subsidizes non-abortion related healthcare, including contraception, cancer screenings and sex education to low-income women. Losing this funding would cause fees for services to rise and could eventually result in an increased cost to taxpayers. Subsidized health services are especially needed during the current economic crisis, Planned Parenthood argues, given that increasing numbers of Americans do not have health care coverage.

Media Resources: Wall Street Journal 12/10/08; National Partnership for Women & Families 12/10/08; RH Reality Check 12/10/08

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