The March for Life issued a statement on Thursday praising the passage of the American Health Care Act in the House — legislation that, if it becomes law, would defund Planned Parenthood Federation of America and other abortion providers for one year.
The statement says:
The March for Life congratulates the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the American Healthcare Act and for reaffirming their commitment to life. Abortion is not healthcare, and in light of that – this bill provides Hyde-like protections and redirects funding away from … America’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, to community health centers that offer comprehensive women’s care, and already outnumber Planned Parenthood clinics by 20 to 1.
The text of the bill states: “(Sec. 103) For one year, certain federal funds may not be made available to states for payments to certain family planning providers (e.g., Planned Parenthood Federation of America).” It continues:
This decision re-baselines our understanding that medical services should reflect the pro-life consensus in America that abortion is not healthcare and that taxpayer funding should not pay for abortion. As this bill moves to the Senate, we urge our U.S. Senators to follow the House’s lead and ensure that pro-life protections and the redirection of Planned Parenthood funding remain, because without it — this bill will fail.
According to its latest annual report (2014-2015), Planned Parenthood provided 323,999 abortions between 10/01/13 and 09/30/14 and was given $553.7 million in health services grants and reimbursements. Although federal law prohibits the direct funding of abortion, the fungibility of funds makes following the money in Planned Parenthood operations virtually impossible.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.