News release from Congressman Marlin Stutzman’s office (R-IN 3rd):
Stutzman Fights to End Federal Funding of Planned Parenthood
“Forcing taxpayers to fund abortion providers is the furthest thing from ‘choice'”
(Washington, D.C., January 7, 2013) – Today, U.S. Congressman Marlin Stutzman issued the following statement regarding his support for critical pro-life legislation in the 113th Congress:
“Forcing taxpayers to fund abortion providers is the furthest thing from ‘choice.’ During the 2011-2012 Fiscal Year, Planned Parenthood received more than $542 million in taxpayer money and performed 333,964 abortions. That’s more than 900 abortions each day. It is reprehensible for Washington to spend taxpayer dollars to subsidize the abortion industry, which is why I will continue to sponsor the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act.
“While Washington’s $16 trillion debt climbs higher, the federal government should not continue to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the country. It’s time to end that handout. I am confident that the defense of life—which is rooted in truth and love—will prevail at the local, state, and federal levels.”
Background:
The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act would not reduce the total amount of funds available for family planning; it would simply block funding to organizations that perform abortions.
According to its most recent annual report, Planned Parenthood received more than $542 million in revenue from government grants and contracts. During that same time frame, they performed a record high 333,964 abortions.
In June 2011, Congressman Stutzman, a member of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, led a bipartisan, congressional effort to defend Indiana’s law, HEA1210, which prohibits state and federal funds from going to “any entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed.” One hundred members of Congress signed Congressman Stutzman’s letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Administrator Donald Berwick.