FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 4, 2011
CONTACT: Kerry Brown at (703) 470-1926 or [email protected]
PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS SATURATE CONGRESS WITH MORE THAN 1 MILLION PETITIONS, EMAILS OVER DEFUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Grassroots Coalition Marshals Forces to Defund Organization that Hurts Women
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Expose Planned Parenthood Coalition announced that nearly 1.2 million mailed petitions and emails have been sent to Congress urging the inclusion of Rep. Mike Pence’s (R-IN) amendment in the Continuing Resolution which would deny all taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood through September.
Concerned Women for America has generated 980,000 mailed petitions to the House of Representatives alone. Family Research Council Action (FRC Action), the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) and Catholic Advocate Voice have generated more than 190,000 direct e-mails and petition signatures to Congress. The groups have led the effort to defund the abortion provider following the release of Live Action’s undercover footage from Planned Parenthood clinics across the country showing employees aiding and abetting in alleged sex trafficking of minors, further evidence that the organization is not safe for women and children.
“More than one million Americans have stepped forward to send a clear message to our elected leaders: whether pro-life or pro-abortion we do not believe that tax dollars should be used to finance abortion services. The time to permanently end taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood is now,” said Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America.
“The American people continue to speak out – we should not be subsidizing organizations that use our tax dollars in such immoral and devious ways,” said Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council.
“Leaders and PR consultants at Planned Parenthood are in a panic over brand damage and an incumbent loss of a third of their budget — and they should be,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of SBA List. “Simply repeating ‘service to women’ can no longer be a substitute for actual woman-centered service. What we see in its business model is the disservice the suffrage movement fought against: the exploitation of women and girls. In tidal waves reminiscent of the fight against federal funding of abortion in health care, citizens are rejecting their forced fiscal partnership with Planned Parenthood.”
“Catholics from around the country are speaking out about this injustice,” said Matt Smith, Vice President of Catholic Advocate. “They understand the constant teaching of our Church that it is unjustifiable to perform abortions or willingly cooperate in their execution as Planned Parenthood has repeatedly done with our tax dollars.”
The Expose Planned Parenthood coalition, an alliance of 30 pro-life groups, has called upon federal, state and local governments to defund Planned Parenthood of the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars it receives annually.
According to the Planned Parenthood’s latest Fact Sheet, in 2009, the organization performed 332,278 abortions, the most it has performed in a year to date, but referred merely 977 women for adoption. In 2008, it performed 324,008 abortions and referred 2,405 for adoption—all the while receiving more than $363 million in government grants and contracts for the year.
For further information, please contact Kerry Brown at (703) 470-1926 or [email protected].
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