{"id":510,"date":"2011-07-08T16:03:10","date_gmt":"2011-07-08T20:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/?p=510"},"modified":"2011-07-08T14:31:13","modified_gmt":"2011-07-08T18:31:13","slug":"another-reason-for-congress-to-defund-planned-parenthood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/07\/another-reason-for-congress-to-defund-planned-parenthood.html","title":{"rendered":"Another Reason for Congress to Defund Planned Parenthood"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is apparent that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, can no longer continue to receive more than $350 million dollars a year in federal taxpayer funds without additional scrutiny.
\n\u00a0
\n\"\"<\/a>Of course, Planned Parenthood claims none of the tax funds it receives go directly toward funding abortions. But the fact is that by receiving such a huge taxpayer windfall, additional funds are freed up for Planned Parenthood to use for abortions.
\n\u00a0
\nWe have argued for some time now that federal taxpayer funds should be eliminated and we continue to work in Congress to see that such a measure eventually is approved. As you may recall, the House overwhelmingly approved an amendment this spring to defund Planned Parenthood. Unfortunately, it was voted down in the Senate.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, comes an eye-opening new report – from our friends at Americans United For Life (AUL). The report compiles a 40-year examination of the nation’s largest abortion business and urges Congress to conduct hearings to investigate a number of concerns<\/a> including:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2022 Abortion is Planned Parenthood’s chief business, with 340 abortions occurring for every adoption referral.
\n\u2022 As federal funding has doubled, so has the number of abortions performed.
\n\u2022 Some state clinics are accused of overbilling government health care programs.
\n\u2022 The handling of sexual abuse cases is uneven.
\n\u00a0
\nAUL’s complete report is posted here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Reaction to that report is beginning to come in. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), who chairs the Energy & Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, told Politico he may schedule a hearing to address these concerns:<\/a> “I believe my Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee should review the findings of this report and possibly hold a hearing on why taxpayers are funding Planned Parenthood with its record of abuse and violations of state laws,\u201d Rep. Stearns said. “The American people deserve a concrete reason for funding Planned Parenthood; a reason I do not believe exits.”
\n\u00a0
\nOur work challenging Planned Parenthood continues. We are in federal court in California representing a former Planned Parenthood financial officer – a whistle-blower – who contends that Planned Parenthood affiliates overbilled the government to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.
\n\u00a0
\nAnd, we’re preparing an amicus brief to be filed soon backing the state of Indiana’s decision to cut-off the federal funds it receives to Planned Parenthood.<\/a>\u00a0 Planned Parenthood, along with the ACLU, are in court trying to block Indiana’s sensible and constitutional measure.
\n\u00a0
\nAs you might imagine, Planned Parenthood contends it provides a valuable health service to millions of women across America. And, in response to the revealing and damaging report issued by AUL, Planned Parenthood called it a “politically driven attack” and responded with this: “We are proud of the trust millions of women place in us every year to provide high quality health care.”
\n\u00a0
\nThe question for Planned Parenthood: Are they proud of the millions of abortions they continue to provide around the globe?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is apparent that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, can no longer continue to receive more than $350 million dollars a year in federal taxpayer funds without additional scrutiny. \u00a0 Of course, Planned Parenthood claims none of the tax funds it receives go directly toward funding abortions. But the fact is that by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":401,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,31,29],"tags":[750,743,179,766,178,751,180,177],"class_list":["post-510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abortion","category-planned-parenthood","category-pro-life","tag-abortion","tag-aclj","tag-americans-united-for-life","tag-congress","tag-defund-planned-parenthood","tag-planned-parenthood","tag-rep-cliff-stearns","tag-taxpayer-abortion-funding"],"yoast_head":"\nAnother Reason for Congress to Defund Planned Parenthood - Faith & Justice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/07\/another-reason-for-congress-to-defund-planned-parenthood.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Another Reason for Congress to Defund Planned Parenthood - Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It is apparent that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, can no longer continue to receive more than $350 million dollars a year in federal taxpayer funds without additional scrutiny. \u00a0 Of course, Planned Parenthood claims none of the tax funds it receives go directly toward funding abortions. 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He is also Chief Counsel of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). Jay Sekulow is one of the leading defenders of constitutional rights and religious liberties in the United States. Over the past 25 years, Jay Sekulow has amassed an unparalleled record of accomplishment, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 occasions. His aggressive litigation strategy before the Supreme Court has led to many landmark First Amendment victories. In his first case before the Supreme Court, Jews for Jesus, Jay Sekulow secured the right of religious groups to pass out tracks in airports. In Mergens, Jay Sekulow successfully protected the right of students to form Bible clubs and prayer groups on public school campuses. In Lamb\u2019s Chapel, Jay Sekulow cleared the way for churches to have equal access to public facilities in the same way that other groups are permitted to utilize those facilities. In the Bray and Operation Rescue cases, Jay Sekulow protected the free speech rights of pro-life advocates to be free from criminal prosecution for conveying their pro-life message. In McConnell v. FEC, Jay Sekulow protected the right of young people to engage in the political process by donating to the campaign of their choice. In Pleasant Grove, Jay Sekulow paved the way for governments to be able to display Ten Commandments monuments, and other monuments of their choosing, in public parks. Through the ACLJ, Jay Sekulow engages the political, legal, and cultural battles facing America today. He routinely works with Members of Congress, advising them on proposed legislation and representing them in critical legal matters. Jay Sekulow has also testified before Congress on the constitutionality of proposed legislation. Also, in addition to being a successful Supreme Court advocate, Jay Sekulow is a highly respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is the host of Jay Sekulow Live! which airs each weekday on over 850 radio stations nationwide, in addition Sirius and XM satellite radio. He brings insight and education to listeners daily through this national call-in radio program. He is also the host of the ACLJ This Week, the ACLJ\u2019s weekly television program. Jay Sekulow regularly appears on major media outlets, including FOX News, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, where he is sought out for his vast experience in constitutional law and his unique insight into many of the pressing legal and political issues facing America today. He is frequently quoted in the nation's leading newspapers and often contributes opinion editorials to national publications. Jay Sekulow has also published numerous law review and other scholarly articles. Jay Sekulow has received numerous honors for his groundbreaking legal work in the area of free speech and religious liberties. The Legal Times has named Sekulow one of \u201cThe 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years\u201d and the National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the \u201c100 Most Influential Lawyers\u201d in the United States. In addition, TIME Magazine listed Jay Sekulow as one of the \"25 Most Influential Evangelicals\" in America. Jay Sekulow\u2019s legal work in defense of religious liberties and human rights extends beyond the United States, having founded the ECLJ in Strasbourg, France, which maintains consultative status with the United Nations. He has also opened offices in Pakistan, Africa, and Jerusalem, Israel. Jay Sekulow is a staunch defender of Israel, presenting arguments before the International Criminal Court at the Hague. His efforts in support of Israel\u2019s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks have been commended by Israeli government officials, one official stating, \"Jay was instrumentally-involved in projects that the President of Israel and the Prime Minister put on our national agenda.\" Jay Sekulow also has a passion for educating the next generation of religious liberty advocates. He is a member of the Regent University Law School Faculty as a Distinguished Professor of Law and routinely teaches courses on constitutional law and presents guest lectures. Jay Sekulow has also started educational programs in international human rights law in Strasbourg, France and at Handong University in South Korea. Jay Sekulow is a graduate of Mercer University, earning both a bachelor\u2019s degree and doctor of jurisprudence. Sekulow served on the editorial staff of the Mercer Law Review and graduated cum laude. He later earned a Ph.D. from Regent University, writing his dissertation on American Legal History. Jay Sekulow also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Supreme Court Historical Society in Washington, D.C. Jay Sekulow, ACLJ Chief Counsels full biography and video. Jay Sekulow on Facebook. Jay Sekulow on Twitter. Jay Sekulow on YouTube.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/author\/jay_sekulow"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=510"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":529,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510\/revisions\/529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}