The Susan G. Komen foundation, the largest breast cancer organization, decided to halt Planned Parenthood Grants. The decision seems to have been determined by the longstanding pressure coming from anti-abortion, but the foundation denies that is the reason.
The decision Susan G. Komen foundation took will definitely not be the end of the anti-abortion debates, but in fact will surely bring in more focus and pressure from the both sides of the coin. At the same time it impacts a lot of women who don’t have the funds to get breast exams, for instance.
Halting the Planned Parenthood grants will affect 19 of the 83 affiliates in the program. These have received nearly $700,000 from the Susan G. Komen foundation in 2011for breast cancer screening and several other breast health services.
Leslie Aun, spokeswoman for the Komen foundation, told Associated Press that the halt was caused by a new rule the foundation implemented. This rule prohibits giving grants to organizations that are investigated by local, state or federal authorities.
Thus, the 19 affiliates in the Planned Parenthood program were disqualified from receiving grants due to being under investigation. According to Leslie Aun, the investigation is being led by Representative Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida, who is now trying to figure out how the affiliates spent and reported the money.
After the Associated Press published the material talking about how Komen halted grants for its Planned Parenthood affiliates, the foundation issued a statement saying that its “changes in priorities and policies” that affect Planned Parenthood are regrettable. However, Komen’s purpose to “continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the women we serve and most fully advance in our mission”.
The changes the statement talked about were not stipulated, but it seems the foundation had “implemented more stringent eligibility and performance criteria” that will strengthen the grants program.
Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, said Komen’s decision “came so abruptly in the face of a long, good working relationship”. She also added that it is obvious the change in financing criteria “was written specifically to address the political pressure that they’ve been under”.
