This story originally appeared on WHO-TV and WHOTV.com on March 8, 2011.
ABORTION BILL: A pro-life group wants to strip Planned Parenthood of Federal Funding
The group says Planned Parenthood should not get taxpayers dollars because they perform abortions
By: Emily Carlson
A pro-life group targeting Planned Parenthood stopped in Des Moines Monday morning with a message for Rep. Leonard Boswell.
“As a mother, as a wife, as an Iowan I’m really offended that you as a leader here in Iowa feel that after all the mounting evidence you would still be ok to support organizations like Planned Parenthood,” says Maggie DeWitte of Iowans for Life.
The “Defund Planned Parenthood” bus is traveling the country urging lawmakers to pass a bill that would cut the $360 million the clinics received from the government in 2008. The movement started after an undercover video surfaced of Planned Parenthood workers advising prostitutes as young as 14 get an abortion.
“They come here for care and to receive quality of care. It’s all aimed at prevention and this bill would destroy us because of a political campaign,” says Jill June, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland.
Under law, Planned Parenthood cannot use federal dollars to pay for abortions. They say the taxpayer money goes to services like pap smears, cancer screenings and birth control. The clinics plan to have what they call a “truth” bus at several of the other pro-life stops. June says they want to educate people about what they do.
Right now, the bill is in the senate. It’s unlikely to pass, as democrats hold a majority.
