The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation announced plans yesterday to discontinue funding of Planned Parenthood after a seven-year partnership. Planned Parenthood claims that the Susan G. Komen Foundation, “has been pressured by right-wing groups to stop supporting breast cancer screenings for poor women at Planned Parenthood health centers.”
But how much is pressure, and how much is it Komen seizing an opportunity to disconnect themselves from a group whose large taxpayer subsidies have suddenly become a hot-button issue?
Over the past year, nine states have voted to strip Planned Parenthood of its state and in some cases, federal funding, resulting in a cut of more than $61 million.
In addition, 24 states enacted 92 provisions in 2011 which increased regulation and restriction on abortions including installing waiting periods before the procedure, increasing available information about alternatives to abortion and limiting the gestation age for legal abortion.
The Komen Foundation argues that their reason for cutting ties with Planned Parenthood is that they do not want to be involved with an organization that is being investigated by the government, after Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fl.) launched an inquiry to determine where Planned Parenthood public money goes.
But it could be that the Komen Foundation sees the writing on the wall for Planned Parenthood and would rather get off of a sinking ship.
