June 16, 2010

Editor's note. The following was released by the office of pro-life Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ).

Cong. Chris Smith

WASHINGTON, D.C. –A new report by the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) outlines that since 2002, over $1 BILLION in federal funds has been allocated to six organizations that promote or provide abortions, including Planned Parenthood, which received a majority of the funds.

"The most unsafe place for women and children today is Planned Parenthood's 850 facilities," said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), the co-chair of the House Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. "At Planned Parenthood clinics in 2007 alone, 305,000 babies were either dismembered, chemically poisoned or starved to death by RU486."

(You can read Congressman Smith's full remarks at http://chrissmith.house.gov/UploadedFiles/2010-06-16_GAO_Statement_on_the_Report_on_Taxpayer_Funding_Planned_Parenthood.pdf.)

"Since Obama's election, U.S. subsidies to the abortion industry at home and abroad, have significantly increased.

"When Obama shredded the Mexico City Policy, he opened the floodgate of taxpayer funds to pro-abortion NGOs (i.e. International Planned Parenthood Federation) that perform and lobby for abortion worldwide," Smith said. "Making matters worse he increased funding available to those organizations by 50%--to $648,457 million. "It's time for Americans and especially Congress to take a second look and defund it; defund Planned Parenthood--Child Abuse Inc.," Smith said.

The report was requested by Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22), and strongly supported by Smith and other Members of Congress. The GAO report reveals federal funding levels for pro-abortion organizations:

• Planned Parenthood Federation of America received $657.1 million (2002-2008)

• Population Council of the United States: $284.3 million (2002-2008)

• International Planned Parenthood Federation: $93.8 million (2002-2009)

• Advocates for Youth: $8.7 million (2002-2009)

• Guttmacher Institute: $12.7 million (2002-2008)

• Sexuality Information & Education Council of the U.S.: $1.6 million (2002-2009)

A significant portion of federal taxpayer funding for domestic activities was provided through grants under the Title X program which provides grants for family planning. This program provides a funding source that helps abortionists set up clinics that do family planning in one room and abortion in the next.

Through the use of federal funding at Planned Parenthood, taxpayers are unwittingly underwriting the operation of the nation's largest abortion chain.
Smith and Olson, were joined at Capitol Visitors Center at the U.S Capitol by Reps. Jim Jordan (OH-04), Jean Schmidt (OH-02), Mary Fallin (OK-05), Joe Pitts (PA-16), Steve Scalise (LA-01), Trent Franks (AZ-02), John Fleming, M.D, (LA-04), Walter Jones (NC-03), and Paul Broun, M.D. (GA-10) to discuss the report.

The GAO report can be found at http://chrissmith.house.gov/UploadedFiles/2010_GAO_Report_on_Abortion_Organizations_FINAL.pdf.

Part Two
Part Three