The Planned Parenthood abortion business is not happy about the headline-making news that the Komen for the Cure breast cancer charity will stop donations to it until a Congressional investigation is resolved.
As LifeNews reported, Komen says it is halting all grants because of public pressure from pro-life groups and due to the impending investigation in Congress of the Planned Parenthood abortion business. The policy makes it so no further Planned Parenthood grants will be given unless the investigation results in Planned Parenthood’s favor.
Planned Parenthood, in an email to its supporters, is putting the blame squarely on pro-life groups.
“I wanted to share some extremely discouraging news from a partner and longtime ally for women’s health — news that could have devastating consequences for women,” Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards writes to top supporters of the abortion business in an email LifeNews received. “The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has announced that it will stop supporting lifesaving breast cancer screening for low-income and underserved women at Planned Parenthood health centers.”
“It’s a deeply disappointing decision — made even more alarming because politically motivated groups and individuals determined to undermine women’s access to care appear to have successfully intimidated the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation to withdraw this critical support,” she said. “But when anti-choice groups began criticizing the Komen Foundation for partnering with Planned Parenthood, the foundation ended its support for Planned Parenthood health centers. We know our opponents put their ideology over women’s health and lives. What we never expected is that an ally like the Komen Foundation would choose to listen to them.”
The email asks for an “emergency donation” to the abortion business to replace the donations Komen sent.
Figures from August directly from the Komen for the Cure foundation show 18 affiliates of the breast cancer charity gave a total of more than $569,000 to the Planned Parenthood abortion business in 2010. That was down from the $731,303 Komen officials publicly confirmed in October 2010, when they acknowledged that 20 of the 122 Komen affiliates gave to Planned Parenthood during the 2009 fiscal year. [related]
“For almost 100 years, Planned Parenthood health centers have relied on the generosity and compassion of others to deliver care to women, men, and teens. The support of organizations like the Komen Foundation is always appreciated — but people like you are the true heart and soul of Planned Parenthood,” Richards said. “Women “can’t afford to be caught up in the heartless campaigns of anti-choice groups and their allies in Congress. I’m counting on you to help us defend their access to care — and to tell those who care more about politics than people that we will not stand for it. Click here to make your emergency gift.”
Meanwhile, pro-life advocates are celebrating the news — cautiously.
Susan Michelle of Bound4Life, a pro-life youth group that has highlighted the Komen-Planned Parenthood link, said Komen could resume donations if the Congressional probe turns out in Planned Parenthood’s favor.
“Citing the federal investigation of Planned Parenthood as the reason for the cutoff, Komen says it will no longer give money to the abortion provider—at least while Congress is investigating it. No statement has been made on if funding will continue if the investigation clears Planned Parenthood,” she said. “Though Komen says these public criticisms are not a factor in their choice to stop funding Planned Parenthood, it’s hard to believe that the pressure didn’t impact the decision.”
“While we have not received word that Komen still supports embryonic stem cell research, which is also a pro-life issue, we should be vocal in thanking Komen for this decision. In essence, it eliminates the middle man, allowing women who need real mammograms to call Komen and be directed to a place that actually does them. Komen’s funds haven’t changed—only where they give them,” Michelle added.
“Today’s announcement isn’t given with permanence. Komen officials state they want to keep a “positive relationship” with Planned Parenthood, so that, along with their support of embryonic stem cell research, means we shouldn’t be running to sign up for a Race for the Cure quite yet, but we should positively reinforce what’s happening and thank Komen for this decision,” she said.
