By Jim Sedlak
The US Congress passed, and the president signed into law, the latest “COVID Relief Bill” last week. Officially known as the “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021” (H.R.1319), the $1.9 trillion spending bill is full of expenditures that have nothing to do with the COVID virus or its aftereffects.
Section 2605 of the law specifically sets aside $50 million for “family planning services.” Although the law is not specific about how this money is to be spent, it is generally recognized that this was the current administration’s attempt to return to Planned Parenthood most of the $60 million Planned Parenthood gave up rather than abide by the Trump administration’s Title X rules that prohibited Title X (family planning) recipients from committing or referring for abortions.
The new law also contains a Payroll Protection Program. Unlike the previous PPP, this bill as written would have allowed Planned Parenthood to receive the PPP loans. Last-minute Republican maneuvers removed this assurance of Planned Parenthood funding from the bill. Although not allowed, remember that the last PPP was specifically written to exclude Planned Parenthood, yet Planned Parenthood managed to get approximately $80 million in PPP loans anyway. Efforts by members of Congress to get Washington bureaucrats to get the money back from Planned Parenthood have not been successful. We are now expecting that Planned Parenthood will, once again, apply for and receive millions of PPP dollars under the current administration.
Of course, the Biden administration is doing much more to drive money toward Planned Parenthood. Its very active push for unbridled abortion in the United States will mean millions more in Planned Parenthood income. Planned Parenthood operates the largest abortion chain in the nation with over 53 percent of all the abortion facilities. Planned Parenthood charges about $610 for first trimester abortions. This means that an increase of just 0.2 percent (1,640 abortions) will put an additional $1 million in Planned Parenthood’s bank accounts.
Planned Parenthood is expecting this increase in income, but it will only happen if people who respect every human being, from creation to death, give up and do nothing. We must all understand what is happening in America today and take peaceful, prayerful action within our circles of influence. Educate the young people in your community on the sacredness of every human being’s life. Speak up loudly when those who want women to have the right to kill their children advocate that in your town or on social media. This is not the time to be silent.
Of course, one of the greatest things you can do is to pray for those trapped by the culture of death. Join the Marian Blue Wave and use the Rosary as God’s weapon of choice to destroy the devil and all that he incites.
Jim Sedlak is executive director of American Life League, founder of STOPP International, and host of a weekly talk show on the Radio Maria Network. He has been successfully fighting Planned Parenthood since 1985.