(RepublicanReport.org) – Planned Parenthood, which prides itself in its ongoing work to provide women with access to abortions, relies heavily on taxpayer dollars to stay in business. The organization reportedly received $1.78 billion between 2019 and 2021. The law forbids the use of tax revenue to pay for abortions themselves, but the pro-abortion clinic gets around the roadblock by offering numerous other services as well. Lawmakers like Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) believe the people’s money shouldn’t go to a place that performs a procedure so many Americans are morally against.
Blackburn first announced the request in January 2022, when she teamed up with Reps. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) to obtain details on the organization’s funding. They went to the Government Accountability Office for a report on the spending, insisting on greater oversight into where taxpayer funds are going. A total of 141 other members of the Senate and House of Representatives also signed the document, citing the need for appropriate oversight.
The Hyde Amendment strictly bars the government from funding abortions through healthcare systems like Medicare, Medicaid, and other benefits set aside for low-income individuals. Some states have found a way around the limits by using state funds exclusively to back their Medicaid programs. Barring that loophole, the federal government’s money is only allowed to go to an abortion if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or if the mother’s life is in imminent danger. These limitations don’t keep an institution that performs abortions from receiving funds as long as the recipients use the money to provide other services.
Planned Parenthood offers a dozen different services, with abortions and referrals for abortions being at the top of its list. The organization also provides the “morning after” pill, HIV testing, STD testing and treatment, and even transgender hormone therapy. While the medical care provider offers more wholesome services as well, such as cervical cancer screenings and pregnancy care, Blackburn and others feel federal funds could be of better use elsewhere.
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