By Paula Rogo, essence.com
The White House informally asked Planned Parenthood to discontinue providing abortions if they still wanted access to millions in federal funding, The New York Times reports.
The women’s health organization receives over $500 million in federal funding in order to provide a range women-specific medical services, one of which also happens to be abortions.
“As I said throughout the campaign, I am pro-life and I am deeply committed to investing in women’s health and plan to significantly increase federal funding in support of non abortion services such as cancer screenings,” Trump said in a statement. “Polling shows the majority of Americans oppose public funding for abortion, even those who identify as pro-choice. There is an opportunity for organizations to continue the important work they do in support of women’s health, while not providing abortion services.”
The nonprofit also faces defunding from Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare. The New York Times reports that theWhite House remains concerned about the possible political repercussions of the repeal, especially as it relates to Planned Parenthood. The organization has made it clear that none of the federal funding goes towards abortions.
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards immediately tweeted out her response to the breaking news:
Planned Parenthood is proud to provide abortion—a necessary service that’s as vital to our mission as birth control or cancer screenings. https://t.co/TWGOcVjBJ4
— Cecile Richards (@CecileRichards) March 6, 2017
We won’t back down in the face of threats or intimidation, or turn our backs on the patients who count on us. Not today, tomorrow, not ever.
— Cecile Richards (@CecileRichards) March 6, 2017
We believe protecting the ability of women to determine our own futures is not only a Planned Parenthood value – it’s an American value.
— Cecile Richards (@CecileRichards) March 6, 2017
In a statement, she added: “The White House proposal that Planned Parenthood stop providing abortion is the same demand opponents of women’s health have been pushing for decades, as a part of their longstanding effort to end women’s access to safe, legal abortion. Planned Parenthood has always stood strong against these attacks on our patients and their ability to access the full range of reproductive health care. We are glad that the White House understands that taking away the preventive care Planned Parenthood provides is deeply unpopular and would be a disaster for women’s health care.”
