Family planning clinics may lose federal funding

Ashley Smith

The Signal

A house resolution that would cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood, introduced by Indiana Representative Mike Pence, is headed to the Senate after the House passed it with a 240-185 vote last month.

H.R. 217, known as the Pence amendment and introduced in January, would prohibit any institution that offers abortion services, such as Planned Parenthood, from receiving any federal funding. The bill has stayed along party lines with the majority of representatives voting for it being republican, while the majority of those voting against it being democrat.

If the bill passes, Planned Parenthood could lose $363 million in federal grants, which equates to 33 percent of their revenue. Planned Parenthood’s website states that six in 10 women who access care from a women’s health center like Planned Parenthood consider it to be their main source of health care. Those who oppose the bill say that Planned Parenthood plays a critical role in providing health care to low-income women.

“If the Pence amendment is passed, it will come at a high cost of basic preventive health care for the women of Texas who have relied on Planned Parenthood for nearly 75 years,” said Laura Leon, marketing specialist at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.

There is currently a law on the books that prohibits any federal funding to be used on abortion services. The law, known as the Hyde Amendment, was passed by Congress in 1976 as an amendment to the Title X Family Planning Program.

The Title X Family Planning program, enacted in 1970, is the only federal grant program dedicated solely to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services.

The U.S. Department of Health and Services website states that the Title X program is designed to provide access to contraceptive services, supplies and information to all who want and need them.

Supporters of the new bill do not believe that the Hyde Amendment is enough.

“The law says that federal funds can’t be used directly for abortion itself, but [Planned Parenthood] still receives all this taxpayer money to use for their propaganda,” said Elizabeth Graham, director of Texas Right to Life.

Planned Parenthood created a campaign, Stand with Planned Parenthood, to help promote the services they offer under Title X and to fight against legislation. Members of the campaign organize rallies across the country to garner support. Their website also shows how local representatives voted on the bill and how to contact them.

Those who oppose the bill feel that the Pence amendment will affect the other services that Planned Parenthood offers that are funded by Title X.

Those services include birth control, annual well woman exams, cancer screening tests, treatment for sexually transmitted infections and HIV testing and counseling.

Last year, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast provided more than 110,400 health care visits last year.

“The efforts by Representative Pence are one of the most misguided and dangerous legislative assaults on women’s health in Planned Parenthood’s 95-year history,” Leon said.

Supporters of the Pence amendment, however, feel that Planned Parenthood is capable of continuing on without federal funding.

“Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest provider of abortions and they bring in $1 billion in assets and receive over $360 million in federal funding,” Graham said. “Any organization that has $1 billion in assets does not need federal funding.”

The Pence amendment is currently in the Senate, where democrats have a slight majority.