Two female Republican representatives are asking the House Appropriations Committee to consider adding language to the 2017 appropriations bill that would end taxpayer subsidies to Planned Parenthood. In a letter to the committee chairmen, Reps. Diane Black (R-TN) and Martha Roby (R-AL) explain why this should be a top priority in this year’s appropriations process. A total of 105 members of Congress have added their signatures to the letter, including Democratic legislators Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Daniel Lipinski (D-IL).
As Congress considers health care reforms under the pressure of rising costs, we firmly believe that organizations that provide comprehensive health care and respect all life – both the born and unborn – are best equipped to offer the most effective health care services to those in need. For these reasons, we respectfully request your consideration of the will of the House to deny any and all funds to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. through the Labor-HHS appropriations bill.
Last summer's Planned Parenthood investigation, which exposed their negotiating the sale of aborted baby parts, can explain the urgency in these lawmakers’ voices. The graphic and shocking videos of employees laughing about the money they could acquire from fetal tissue churned stomachs all over the country. The latest Planned Parenthood report further underscored how much priority it places on the lucrative service of abortion. The organization, which received $554 million in taxpayer funds, performed over 323,999 abortions. Its prenatal and adoption services paled in comparison.
“Taxpayers won’t stand for this and Congress shouldn’t either," said Rep. Black. "I’m grateful for the action that has been taken to combat Planned Parenthood’s abuses of innocent life thus far, but now we should take this effort to the next logical step: defunding Planned Parenthood through the appropriations process. That is exactly what this letter requests.”
The Labor-HHS appropriations bill would be more effective if it had pro-life pregnancy centers in mind, she and Roby argue.
"Taxpayer dollars should not flow to the nation’s largest abortion provider," said Rep. Roby. “I’m proud to fight alongside Diane Black and our fellow pro-life advocates to stop federal funding from going to Planned Parenthood.”