Komen Foundation Stops Grants to Planned Parenthood

By Lisa Correnti | February 1, 2012

Yesterday it was announced that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation would no longer award grant money to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screening. According to Planned Parenthood they were informed in December that the funding would stop in 2012. The Komen foundation did not cite reasons for their decision but stated, “While it is regrettable when changes in priorities and policies affect any of our grantees, such as a long-standing partner like Planned Parenthood, we must continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the women we serve and most fully advance our mission.”

Because Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the country, many pro-life individuals have withheld donations to the Komen foundation when it was discovered that some affiliates were funding local Planned Parenthood clinics.  A Planned Parenthood spokesperson reported that Komen affiliates had been funding Planned Parenthood for the past five years with $680,000 funded last year and $580,000 the prior to 19 of their affiliates.

Planned Parenthood believes Komen has stopped the funding due to a Republican witch hunt. Rep. Cliff Stearns, chairman of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations had launched an investigation in September to explore Planned Parenthood’s use of federal funds and its compliance with federal guidelines prohibiting funding for abortions. The investigation also seeks to find whether PPFA is following standards on reporting sex abuse crimes involving minors after reports surfaced following an investigation by LiveAction that they were not. LiveAction was also responsible for an investigation that revealed that despite Planned Parenthood’s claims of providing breast cancer screenings, calls to several clinics revealed mammograms were not being provided.

The Komen foundation posted a statement on their website in November to clarify their position on human embryonic stem cell research.  The statement says that “Susan G. Komen for the Cure has never funded human embryonic stem cell research (HESCR) nor does Komen currently fund H-ESCR.”

We applaud the Komen decision! You can express your appreciation by sending an email to the Komen foundation at news@komen.org.

 

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