Social Conservatives Thank Congressional Republicans for Cutting Off Planned Parenthood Funds

On Monday, more than 60 conservative and pro-life leaders, including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly of the Eagle Forum, Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center and John Stemberger of the Florida Family Policy Council sent a letter to Republicans in Congress who backed efforts to stop federal funding of Planned Parenthood.

"We applaud you for holding to your principles by voting for this amendment. Planned Parenthood, a scandal-plagued abortion company, does not deserve hundreds of millions in federal dollars each year while it continues to abuse innocent young victims, wrote the pro-life leaders. As you know, recent evidence proves that Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the United States, not only left minor girls trapped in prostitution, but was willing to aid the sex traffickers who would profit from this activity. What goes on behind the windowless offices of Planned Parenthood, as Live Action's videos show, is both saddening and shocking. There is evidence, too, showing that Planned Parenthood clinics have repeatedly refused to comply with state statutory rape reporting laws and often ignore parental consent laws. The fact that this has often been done with taxpayer dollars is indefensible.

"Funding Planned Parenthood and its affiliates does not decrease abortion, continued the pro-life activists. Rather, it increases the incidence of abortion, while it also encourages irresponsible and sometimes illegal activities that harm young women. In addition, Planned Parenthood's abortion machine massively outpaces its adoption referrals. In 2008 a woman entering a Planned Parenthood clinic was 134 times more likely to have an abortion than be referred for adoption."

Funding of Planned Parenthood is expected to be a major issue when the new Republican majority in the U.S. House negotiates with the Democrats running the U.S. Senate on a final federal budget.

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