$1+ billion federal funding given to abortion advocacy groups over 7 years

    

Yesterday TX pro-life Republican Congressman Pete Olson (pictured at podium, right) held a press conference flanked by pro-life Congress stalwarts [Reps. Chris Smith (NJ), Paul Broun, M.D. (GA), Mary Fallin (OK), John Fleming, M.D. (LA), Trent Franks (AZ), Walter Jones (NC), Jim Jordan (OH), Joe Pitts (PA), Steve Scalise (LA), and Jean Schmidt (OH)], Lila Rose of Live Action; Ken Blackwell of Family Research Council, and Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America to announce the results of a Government Accountability Office audit detailing federal taxpayer dollars given to groups that advocate and/or commit abortions.

The audit was requested by 31 Republican lawmakers.

There is some discrepancy whether the final figure over the course of 7 years was "almost $1 billion in taxpayer dollars," as even Olsen wrote in his press statement, or over $1 billion. It's over. Here is the exact tally...

• Advocates for Youth: $8.7 Million (2002-09)
• Guttmacher Institute: $12.7 Million (2002-08)
• International Planned Parenthood Federation: $93.8 million (2002-09)
• Planned Parenthood Federation of America: $657.1 million (2002-08)
• Population Council of the United States: $284.3 million (2002-08)
• Sexuality Information & Education Council of the U.S.: $1.6 million (2002-09)

That equals $1,058,200,000. And it doesn't include state and local funding, which is massive.

For instance, the GAO report states PP got $657.1 million in direct federal funding over 7 years, which is almost $94 million a year. But PP stated in its most recent annual report, 2007-08, it received $349.6 million that year in "government grants and contracts." So the actual amount in total taxpayer funding is likely more than triple what the GAO found.

(BTW, PP is late making its 2008-09 annual report public. But it knew the GAO report was coming, so there is speculation it was waiting for the GAO results before posting its numbers... to make sure they jibe?)

According to the Houston Chronicle:

"Obviously there is no direct link between the taxpayers' money and women getting abortions because that would violate federal law," a congressional staffer said. "But this report helps track the offsets that we know are taking place at these organizations."...

PP of Houston and SE TX recently debuted a $26 million headquarters to help expand family planning services across the region.

Spokeswoman Rochelle Tafolla said... "None of the federal dollars received are used for abortion care."... PP affiliates in TX that provide abortion services "are required to be separately incorporated from the entity that provides family planning services," she said.

This is all a ruse, a shell game, as we saw as recently as yesterday, when I reported that PP of WI got $150k in federal grants 2 years ago through the Title X program to purchase 10 telemed machines, presumably to dispense birth control pills. Will PP have to give the $150k back if it starts using the telemed machines to dispense the RU-486 abortion cocktail? Good question but certainly no. Furthermore, the $150k PP of WI saved in this area freed it to spend $150k on abortion promotion.

Now you can understand more fully Rep. Mike Pence's legislation, which has 93 co-sponsors, "The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act," which would prohibit Title X family planning funding to go to abortion providers.

Again, GAO's $1 billion figure only includes funds given directly to the selected organizations by HHS or USAID. It does not include state and local funding. It does not include funds HHS or USAID gave to another entity that then passed them on to PP, etc.

As the GAO report stated, its $1 billion figure "may understate the actual amount of federal funds the selected organizations and their affiliates spent." It represents the floor, not the ceiling.

Contact: Jill Stanek
Source: jillstanek.com
Publish Date: June 17, 2010
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