FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2012
Contact: Mallory Quigley, 202-223-8073
Admin Bypasses another State to Fund Planned Parenthood Directly, this Time in NJ
Washington, DC ─ Today, the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), a national pro-life organization, criticized the Obama Administration for awarding $3.1 million in federal funds to Planned Parenthood affiliates and other family planning groups in New Jersey, bypassing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s veto of state funding. The grant announcement was made Tuesday by Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez, (D-NJ), longtime allies of Planned Parenthood.
“The President’s loyalty to Planned Parenthood – the nation’s largest abortion business and his top political ally – knows no limits,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “For the second time in this month alone, the Obama Administration has announced it will grant taxpayer funding to local Planned Parenthood affiliates and their allies despite action taken by state and local leaders to get taxpayers out of the abortion business.”
“Last year, a Planned Parenthood affiliate in Perth Amboy, New Jersey was caught on camera showing a willingness to aid and abet sex traffickers of young women,” said Marie Tasy, Executive Director of New Jersey Right to Life. “President Obama is clearly more concerned with protecting Planned Parenthood’s bottom line so they can continue to support his re-election campaign at the taxpayer’s expense than protecting women and girls from the violence of sex trafficking and abortion.”
In the last year, the Obama Administration has shown unyielding loyalty to the abortion business, starting with its threat to shut down the entire federal government rather than cut Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding. Since states have begun defunding Planned Parenthood, the Obama Administration has repeatedly intervened on behalf of the abortion business. In addition to New Jersey, the Obama Administration has now directly assisted Planned Parenthood in four other states including:
- Indiana: The Obama Administration threatened to pull $4.3 billion in Medicaid funding from the state after the legislature voted to defund Planned Parenthood. (June 2011)
- New Hampshire: The Obama Administration contracted directly with Planned Parenthood after the state’s elected Executive Council voted to defund Planned Parenthood. (September 2011)
- Texas: The Obama Administration pulled $30 million in Medicaid waiver funds from Texas after the state legislature voted to defund Planned Parenthood from the waiver program. (March 2012)
- Tennessee: The Obama Administration bypassed elected officials in Tennessee and contracted directly with Planned Parenthood after they were defunded by the state. (July 2012)
The Susan B. Anthony List, and its connected Political Action Committee, the SBA List Candidate Fund, are dedicated to electing candidates and pursuing policies that will reduce and ultimately end abortion. To that end, the SBA List will emphasize the election, education, promotion, and mobilization of pro-life women.
