Taxpayer Money Should Never Go to Planned Parenthood For Any Reason Ever
It might surprise you to learn that the Trump administration has restored millions of dollars in funding to pro-abortion groups, including Planned Parenthood.
Last spring, federal monies designated for the “Title X Family Planning Program” had been frozen — a move widely celebrated by pro-life advocates. The federal program, which dates to 1970, is a welfare subsidy that ostensibly offers “family planning services” to low-income individuals. Groups who facilitate these offerings include the abortion giant Planned Parenthood.
Advocates for the program claim that the federal funds provide critical services for the poor — birth control, sexually transmitted disease testing, cancer screenings, etc.
Yet, dollars are fungible, and the prospect of providing any amount of money, let alone tens of millions of dollars, to groups that champion and celebrate the slaughter of innocent lives is deeply disturbing and objectionable.
When Trump administration officials froze the money last year, they suggested the groups were in possible violation of numerous laws, including servicing illegal aliens and engaging “in widespread practices across hiring, operations, and patient treatment that unavoidably employ race in a negative manner.”
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Not surprisingly, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association demanding that grants worth upwards of $65.8 million be restored to Planned Parenthood and the other groups earmarked for the funds.
According to the lawsuit, the dollars were set to be distributed to 865 service sites thatare treating 842,000 individuals.
The lawsuit was dropped after the funding was restored, apparently in December. Administration officials have not responded to requests to explain their decision. But Clare Coleman, who heads up the National Family Planning group that championed the legal action, claimed officials were guilty of “illegally” withholding “vital family planning funds.”
At the core of the problem is a broken system that can tie the hands of government officials who may want to stop feeding the abortion machine but seem helpless in stopping it.
Kristan Hawkins, who serves as president of Students for Life, is calling on the government to “debar” Planned Parenthood. Basically, through legislation and policies they would ban the abortion behemoth from contracting with the federal government.
“Planned Parenthood needs a full DOGE experience, of evaluating them for fraud and for all the allegations of failure to report sex crimes or operating a racist work environment, to name only a few of the charges recently made,” Hawkins said.
Another tactic that could slow and stop any federal monies from going to such groups would be to reinstate “The Protect Life Rule” which was enacted during President Trump’s first term.
As drafted and enforced, it required any organization that received Title X funds not to provide abortions or refer patients for abortion. The Biden administration rescinded the rule in 2021.
President Trump ignited a firestorm earlier this month when he urged Republicans “to be a little flexible on Hyde” — an amendment that bans taxpayer dollars from funding abortion itself. At issue is Congress attempting to extend ObamaCare subsidies. A bill recently passed by the House didn’t include the Hyde protections. Its fate in the Senate remains uncertain.
It’s a good thing when principled pro-lifers push back on legislators and a president otherwise friendly in so many ways to the pro-life cause. With the reversal of Roe in 2022, abortion remains a hot button issue at both the federal and state level. Some may have grown weary of the battle, but the fate of innocent lives remains at stake every single day.
When it comes to our resolve concerning the defense of babies in the womb, the words of the 17th century German theologian Rupertus Meldenius comes to mind:
The sanctity of life may be debated in a political realm, but it is a moral principle.
Just ahead of the annual “National March for Life,” please join us in praying that administration officials will either reinstate “The Protect Life Rule” or once and for all defund Planned Parenthood and stop the flow of taxpayer dollars to any group even remotely associated with abortion.
LifeNews Note: Paul J. Batura is a writer and vice president of communications for Focus on the Family. He’s authored numerous books including “Chosen for Greatness: How Adoption Changes the World,” “Good Day! The Paul Harvey Story” and “Mentored by the King: Arnold Palmer’s Success Lessons for Golf, Business, and Life.” Paul can be reached via email: Paul.Batura@fotf.org or Twitter @PaulBatura. This article originally appeared at Daily Citizen.
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