ACTION ALERT
FOR ALL WHO SIGNED OUR STOP PLANNED PARENTHOOD TAX FUNDING PETITION
ACTION NEEDED
We can end federal funding of Planned Parenthood, but we need your help right now.
The Continuing Resolution (see below) is being discussed RIGHT NOW, so you need to make contact immediately. Call your members of Congress and tell them to support Amendment #11 to CR1 and take all federal money away from Planned Parenthood.
If you do not know who your member of Congress is, you can call the House switchboard, 202-224-3121, and they can tell you. Your calls are needed today!
Here is the explanation of what is going on:
Planned Parenthood is in trouble
Planned Parenthood, which has always tried to convince the public and lawmakers that it is a “trusted” provider of women’s reproductive health services, is in trouble.
Recent public disclosures of what goes on behind the doors of Planned Parenthood have tarnished its image and emboldened lawmakers to seriously go after its taxpayer funding.
In recent issues of this Wednesday STOPP Report we have brought you the stories as they unfolded (click here to see back issues).
In New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington, DC, Planned Parenthood has been caught on tape by Live Action films helping “sex traffickers” in their businesses.
In Tennessee, and elsewhere, parents are actively fighting against Planned Parenthood sex education programs.
Pro-life groups across the country are calling for the defunding of Planned Parenthood and holding vigils to call attention to this demand.
Planned Parenthood reacts
Planned Parenthood has been under attack before, but this time is different. This time, Planned Parenthood understands that its taxpayer funding is vulnerable. It also knows that, if it loses its taxpayer funding, it is essentially out of business.
When Medicaid reimbursements are added to its other government grants and contracts, the majority of Planned Parenthoods income is from the American taxpayer. Thats right, over 50 percent of Planned Parenthood’s income is from us and, right now, there is a real possibility it may be taken away.
As a result, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, has released a one minute video desperately asking its supporters to help.
The video can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuz3fB1yRbs&feature=player_embedded
Can’t you just feel the desperation in her voice?
The Continuing Resolution and Planned Parenthood
The United States government works on a fiscal year that begins on October 1 of one year and goes to September 30 of the following year. The last Congress did not approve a budget for the current fiscal year, so the current Congress is actually trying to handle bills for two separate fiscal years.
For the current fiscal year (October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011), Congress is dealing with a Continuing Resolution to keep the government’s doors open. This has nothing to do with Obama’s proposed budget (see next story).
The official designation of the bill is Continuing Resolution 1 (CR 1). As we are writing this WSR, Congress is actively working on CR 1.
There are several provisions of CR 1 that would affect Planned Parenthood:
- The CR currently eliminates all money to the Title X family planning program. PP gets over $75 million a year from this program.
- The CR includes the Mexico City Policy a provision to ensure no international population planning and population assistance funding is provided to foreign nongovernmental organizations that promote or perform elective abortion. This, too, would take millions from Planned Parenthood.
- The CR prohibits funding for UNFPA and deletes a $55 million earmark for UNFPA. Planned Parenthood works with the UNFPA and, therefore, some of this money goes indirectly to PP.
In addition, there are a couple of proposed amendments to CR 1 that directly affect PP:
- Amendment #11 submitted by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) is the most devastating amendment from Planned Parenthoods perspective. It would prevent any funds made available under the CR from being provided to Planned Parenthood. The amendment states, “None of the funds made available by this Act may be made available for any purpose to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. or any of the following affiliates of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.” and lists all Planned Parenthood Affiliates. This amendment, if included in the bill, would take away all federal government money from Planned Parenthood until, at least, September 30, 2011.
- Amendment #262 submitted by Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) would eliminate all $440 million allocated for international population control, family planning and reproductive health. Planned Parenthood receives millions of dollars from these funds through its affiliates in countries all over the world.
Planned Parenthood supporters in Congress are not only opposing these amendments, but are introducing amendments to restore funding for Title X and for other programs.
The New Budget and Planned Parenthood
In addition to the Continuing Resolution, Congress is also beginning to deal with the budget for the United States for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2011 and continuing through September 30, 2012.
This is the Obama budget that has been in the news this week along with the statements that the Republicans will be cutting that budget.
This is totally separate from the Continuing Resolution and you can be assured that many members of Congress will be looking to keep Planned Parenthood out of that budget also.
We will be bringing you information on this budget as events unfold over the next few months.
Remember: ACT NOW
Planned Parenthood is scared (just listen to Cecile’s voice on the video link above). Now is the time to put pressure on Congress and end its funding. We have been shown by recent world events that power is in people speaking out together and in great numbers. We can change America and we can stop the funding of Planned Parenthood. But, we must all work together and join our voices for this to happen. PLEASE, do not sit this one out. Tell you members of Congress we want NO MONEY TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD.
For more articles like this one, see:
www.stopp.org