In the wake of two shocking videos showing top Planned Parenthood doctors arranging the sale of body parts form aborted babies, more than 80 members of the House of Representatives have introduced a bill that would immediately de-fund Planned Parenthood.
Yesterday Representative Diane Black (R-TN) and 80 original cosponsors introduced H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015, which would immediately halt all sources of Federal funding to Planned Parenthood and its affiliates for a one year period.
Black, a Tennessee Republican and a nurse for more than 40 years, told LifeNews that the shocking video provides yet another reason to ensure the Planned Parenthood abortion company does not receive taxpayer dollars.
“The legislation has the support of 80 original cosponsors and would place an immediate moratorium on all federal funding of Planned Parenthood for the span of one year while Congress conducts a full investigation into the organization’s activities. Introduction of the bill follows the release of multiple undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood employees discussing the harvesting of aborted babies’ tissue and organs,” she said.
SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must De-Fund Planned Parenthood Immediately
“The fact that Planned Parenthood performs upwards of 327,000 abortions a year is heartbreaking and barbaric enough on its own. The news that its employees engaged in the harvesting of aborted babies’ body parts is almost too much to bear and is incredibly revealing as to the true nature of the big abortion industry,” Black said.
Since 2013, Congressman Black has sponsored H.R. 217, the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, which would combat one of Planned Parenthood’s major government revenue streams by withholding Title X grants from any health care provider that performs abortions or gives funds to organizations that do. However, a nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) study released earlier this year found that Planned Parenthood also received $1.2 billion from Medicaid over a three year window – making it clear that legislation is needed to combat any possible source of federal funding for the scandal-ridden abortion mill.
Last night, Congressman Black took to the House floor to speak in support of the Defund Planned Parenthood Act. A full transcript of her remarks as prepared for delivery is provided below the video:
Mister Speaker, Planned Parenthood has blood on its hands. Over the last week, we’ve seen multiple videos showing its employees brazenly discussing the harvesting of aborted babies’ tissue and organs. But the truth is, Planned Parenthood’s culture of depravity runs much deeper than a couple of videos.
In my home state of Tennessee, Planned Parenthood, the supposed champion of safe abortions, sued to overturn our state’s informed consent and mandatory licensing laws – measures put in place to protect women’s health and safety. When I authored an amendment to our state Constitution allowing legislators to reinstate these protections, Planned Parenthood ran an ill-fated smear campaign attempting to confuse the facts and turn Tennesseans against the measure.
You see, Planned Parenthood doesn’t empower women – it deceives them at their most difficult and vulnerable moments. It values convenience over truth and profit over life.
As a nurse, I’ve seen the big-abortion-industry’s shameful tactics with my own eyes. That is why, for two years now, I’ve sponsored the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act to address one of Planned Parenthood’s largest government revenue streams. I continue to urge passage of this legislation, but in light of these latest videos, we must take the fight a step further.
For these reasons, I have just introduced the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 – legislation that would enact an immediate moratorium on all federal funding for Planned Parenthood while Congress carries out a full investigation.
I eagerly await the findings of this forthcoming investigation, but you know what, Mister Speaker? No matter, what it reveals, here’s the truth – Planned Parenthood has made a business out of destroying that which God has created.
It performs over 327,000 abortions a year, all while receiving roughly $500 million in annual funding from the taxpayer dollar. The one-sided relationship between Planned Parenthood’s ever-growing bank account and American taxpayers must be severed.
House Republicans previously approved bills to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business.
In 2011, House members voted 241-185 for a resolution that would prohibit the Planned Parenthood abortion business from qualifying for family planning funds. The vote saw almost all Republicans supporting de-funding while Democrats generally opposed it. That was the second vote taken to de-fund the abortion giant. An earlier vote in 2011 saw the House de-funded Planned Parenthood on a 240-185 margin.
Last year, Planned Parenthood Federation of America rleased its 2013-2014 Annual Report.The report indicates Planned Parenthood did 327,653 abortions in 2013, an increase over the 327,166 abortions it did in 2012.
While it remains America’s biggest abortion corporation, the “nonprofit” continued to make money — bringing in $305.4 million last year and $305.3 million this year. Planned Parenthood continued to receive over a half-billion dollars in taxpayer money, as it took in $540 million in 2012 and $528 million in 2013.
Black told LifeNews in a statement: While Planned Parenthood and its counterparts like to repeat the company line that federal dollars do not directly fund abortions, commonsense tells us differently. According to Planned Parenthood’s own annual report, the organization performed 327, 653 abortions in 2013 alone – all the while receiving more than $528 million in funding from Uncle Sam. The sad truth is they are not alone. Similar organizations continue to threaten the lives of the unborn while cashing in on our tax dollars. My legislation will stop this shameful practice in its tracks.”
Some other takeaways from Planned Parenthood’s own figures:
- In 2013, abortions made up 94% of Planned Parenthood’s pregnancy services.
- For every adoption referral, Planned Parenthood performed 174 abortions.
- While abortions rose, Planned Parenthood adoption referrals dropped 14% in one year, and prenatal care services dropped 4%.
- Planned Parenthood’s cancer prevention services are down 17% over one year, and contraceptive services dropped by 4%.
- During fiscal year 2013-2014, Planned Parenthood received more than $528 million in taxpayer funding, or more than $1.4 million per day, in the form of government grants, contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements.
- Taxpayer funding accounts for 41% of Planned Parenthood’s overall revenue.
- Planned Parenthood reported more than $127 million in excess revenue, and more than $1.4 billion in net assets.
