OPINION:
Planned Parenthood — America’s largest abortion business — has spent much of the last few years demanding that government add millions more in taxpayer dollars to their coffers, citing their nonprofit status and so-called focus on women’s health.
They haven’t been disappointed. In 2011, government subsidies to Planned Parenthood reached an all-time high, with the abortion provider receiving a whopping $542 million in taxpayer funding — all while ending a record number of lives — 333,964.
This brings Planned Parenthood’s death toll to nearly 1 million during the last three years. This means that nearly 1 million women have also been wounded by the pain of abortion, calling into question Planned Parenthood’s level of concern for the health and well-being of vulnerable women and girls.
It is equally disturbing that while Planned Parenthood is performing a record number of abortions, their cancer screenings have dropped by 29 percent, and contraceptive services by 12 percent over the past three years. These numbers do not jibe with the public relations campaign Planned Parenthood has employed over the last few years, enrobing itself in “breast cancer prevention pink” and promoting slogans like, “Don’t take away my cancer screenings.”
The number of mammograms provided by Planned Parenthood appearing on the annual report is also worth noting: zero. Contrary to claims made by Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards and President Obama, Planned Parenthood isn’t even certified to perform mammograms. It doesn’t even list any referrals for the procedure.
Meanwhile, abortion continues to account for the overwhelming majority of Planned Parenthood’s services for pregnant women, making up 92 percent of the organization’s pregnancy services. Prenatal care and adoption referrals accounted for only 7 percent (28,674) and 0.6 percent (2,300), respectively. Put another way, 9 out of 10 pregnant women who walk into Planned Parenthood leave having undergone an abortion. For every adoption referral, Planned Parenthood performed 145 abortions. Does that sound like much of a choice?
Abortion remains Planned Parenthood’s source of clinic revenue. That’s why it is no surprise that this profit-driven business chose to up the ante this year, mandating that all of its affiliates must provide abortions beginning this month. This mandate has already prompted several clinics that do not wish to perform abortions to break off and go independent.
Requiring that all of its affiliates provide abortions is the ultimate evidence that Planned Parenthood’s chief concern is making money off abortion — not the health of vulnerable women and girls.
Though this mandate will undoubtedly result in an increase in revenue for Planned Parenthood, will it result in better health care for women? What will Planned Parenthood make of our taxpayer-funded investment?
The short answer is more abortion, and fewer real health services for women.
It’s no wonder many states have taken action to try to cut off taxpayer dollars for Planned Parenthood — only to see their efforts blocked by the abortion provider’s top ally: President Obama.
In Arizona and Indiana, legislation to defund Planned Parenthood continues to be disputed in the court system, with the Obama administration backing the abortion business against the will of the state. In Indiana, the White House took it a step further, threatening to pull all Medicaid funding for the state in retribution for defunding the abortion business. In New Hampshire, North Carolina, New Jersey and Tennessee, the Obama administration issued a federal contract directly to Planned Parenthood, bypassing the state and local governments who took action against Planned Parenthood.
Most notably, the president followed through on an earlier threat to stop providing funding for Texas’ Women’s Health Program (WHP), which aids vulnerable women and young girls, after the Texas legislature banned abortion providers from participating in the program. In a demonstration of authentic pro-woman, pro-life leadership, Gov. Rick Perry vowed to keep the WHP fully funded on the state dime, and this month, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced there are more than enough non-abortion providers registered to provide comprehensive health care to needy women participating in the program.
Mr. Obama has gone far out of his way to ensure taxpayer funding makes up 45 percent of Planned Parenthood’s annual revenue.
Planned Parenthood certainly went far out of their way to return the favor, spending a record $15 million during the last election cycle to return their biggest ally to power, and ensuring billions more in taxpayer dollars over the next four years.
It’s time to bring the funding to a halt. Mr. Obama may not care about the evidence and what it means for unborn children and vulnerable young women in our nation, but we can still take action. Call on Congress and your local elected officials to defund America’s largest abortion provider — it’s time we stop footing the bill for Big Abortion.
Marjorie Dannenfelser is president of the Susan B. Anthony List.
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