Planned Parenthood filed suit against the Trump administration on May 2 over changes to federal Title X family-planning grants. The nation’s largest abortion provider was joined by two other groups that consistently advocate for abortion rights — the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association and the American Civil Liberties Union — who filed a separate lawsuit the same day that also challenges the new Title X guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in its Federal Opportunity Announcement (FOA) in February. The FOA is entitled “FY 2018 Family Planning Services: Funding Opportunity Announcement,” which describes how the requested grant money will be applied. It states in one part:
Family planning services which offer a broad range of acceptable and effective family planning methods and services (including natural family planning methods — also called fertility awareness), and which includes pregnancy testing and counseling, as indicated. The broad range of services does not include abortion as a method of family planning.
An important element found in the guidelines is that “the applicant for the award certifies to the Secretary of Health and Human Services that it encourages family participation in the decision of minors to seek family planning services and that it provides counseling to minors on how to resist attempts to coerce minors into engaging in sexual activities.”
Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit claims that the new guidelines in the HHS announcement will put low-income patients at risk. The abortion group receives about $50–60 million of the Title X program’s total $286 million in federal funding.
Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins condemned the lawsuit as being motivated by “greed.”
“Planned Parenthood and abortion vendors seem terrified that people will discover just how easy it will be to live a healthy life without them,” Hawkins was quoted by LifeNews. “People make many medical choices that don’t include Planned Parenthood, and the Trump Administration is to be commended for attempting to redirect Title X dollars away from abortion vendors…. The greed of the abortion lobby is on display as once again they go to court to force taxpayers to fund their enterprise.”
A May 10 report from the RedState website cited statistics from Planned Parenthood’s most recent annual report showing that the abortion provider received much more than the Title X funding noted above — more than $543.7 million in federal reimbursements and grants during the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
That article also supplied statistics from PP’s report showing that while PP clinics also do STI testing, HIV testing, and offer various treatments, abortion is still their main source of revenue. The figures for the most recent period documented in that report were:
Abortions: 321,384
Prenatal services: 7,762
Pap Tests: 281,063
Miscarriage Care: 1,182 (ironic)
Adoption Referrals: 3,889
As if using taxpayer money to pay for abortion, something a very large percentage, if not a majority of, Americans are morally opposed to is not bad enough, an article posted by The New American on April 23 revealed that Planned Parenthood will be spending $30 million to directly influence upcoming state and federal elections. The abortion provider funnels funds through the affiliated Planned Parenthood Votes in order to get around IRS restrictions against tax-exempt organizations using money for political purposes.
Related articles:
Planned Parenthood Wants a Disney Princess to Have an Abortion
Planned Parenthood Opposes Protection for Babies Who Survive Abortion
