Pro-life lawmakers issued statements supporting a government decision
to investigate the federal funding of Planned Parenthood and other
organizations that perform abortions. “The federal government providing funding to abortion providers is a
serious problem in our nation,” said Rep. Diane Black (R- Tenn.) in an
August 5 statement. She said that she is pleased with the Government Accountability Office’s
decision to investigate the use of taxpayer funds by abortion groups. The independent study of how much and for what purpose these dollars are
allocated to all abortion providers is necessary for Congress to ensure
accountability and oversight, she stressed. Earlier this year, more than 50 members of Congress asked the Government
Accountability Office to investigate how Planned Parenthood and other
organizations that promote or perform abortions use federal funds. Black has also sponsored the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act,
which would prevent federal funds from being used to fund organizations
that perform abortions. Planned Parenthood’s yearly reports record more than $1.2 billion in net
assets to the IRS for the 2011 fiscal year, and $87.4 million in excess
revenue. However, the organization still received $542 million in
federal funds in 2011-2012 from government grants, contracts, and
Medicaid reimbursements. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood performed more than 300,000 abortions in 2012, and over 1 million since 2010. Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas) explained that this trend is troubling because
federal tax money is “legally prohibited from being used for
abortions. Under the U.S. constitution, the Obama Administration has a duty to
enforce these laws. And under that same constitution, Congress has a
duty to ensure that the executive branch follows the law of the land,”
he emphasized. “Planned Parenthood and other organizations that provide abortions
clearly benefit from Uncle Sam,” Senator David Vitter commented, “but
there’s no accounting to prove how they actually use that money. This
GAO report would shine a light on how our tax dollars are being spent.” Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) added that he is “pleased that the GAO will be
investigating how much taxpayer money the abortion industry is
receiving. Hopefully this will help us finally put an end U.S. taxpayer support,
funding and complicity with this violence against children,” he said. Black agreed, emphasizing that she is looking forward “to reviewing the
results and ultimately, mobilizing the support needed to stop federal
funding of abortion providers once and for all.”
Born during the turbulent era of the French Revolution, Saint Jeanne Jugan rose above hardship and a lack of formal schooling to become a profound vessel of Christ’s mercy. After losing her father at a young age and working through her youth as a kitchen maid and nurse, her life radically changed one freezing night when she encountered a blind, paralyzed elderly woman with nowhere to go. Jeanne carried the woman back to her own home, placed her in her own bed, and began a lifelong mission of radical hospitality. This act of profound love blossomed into the Little Sisters of the Poor , a thriving community dedicated to sheltering and honoring the destitute elderly. Despite later facing heavy trials—including being unjustly sidelined and stripped of her leadership by a controlling chaplain—Jeanne accepted her obscurity and exile with a joyful spirit, resting her complete trust in God's hidden providence until her death in 1879. In our daily lives, Saint Jeanne Jugan invites us to lo...