Tonight following the 5th Circuit Court’s decision to overturn a lower court’s injunction blocking Texas’ law defunding abortion providers like Planned Parenthood, Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser made the following statement:
“So far, President Obama has been able to rely only upon his executive office and the courts in order to force taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood against the will of state legislators. Ignoring grassroots is a losing game. In this time of financial crisis, states like Texas should have the right to prioritize their health care funding, placing whole women’s health care, primary care, first. The Fifth Circuit court and, we believe, others will reveal this further. Abortion-centered organizations like Planned Parenthood do not deserve taxpayer dollars.”
Last year the Texas state legislature defunded abortion providers including Planned Parenthood of state-controlled family planning funding. In December 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a letter to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission rejecting Texas’ law by turning down the state’s request to run their own family planning program. In March 2012, HHS officially stopped funding for Texas’ Women’s Health Program. Governor Perry pledged to fully fund the program using state dollars.
In April 2012, a Texas judge granted a preliminary injunction to Planned Parenthood affiliates while they sued the state of Texas over the law.
Previously, Texas Governor Rick Perry pointed out that Planned Parenthood clinics represent less than two percent of the more than 2,500 enrolled providers.
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