Susan G. Komen Foundation pulls Planned Parenthood funding

Female Nurse Holding Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon

/ iStockphoto

One of the most prominent charities working to prevent and cure breast cancer, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, has cut its ties with the women's health organization Planned Parenthood, that organization confirmed on Tuesday. Reacting to the news, Planned Parenthood decried Komen for having "succumbed to political pressure" related to abortion politics.

Planned Parenthood said representatives for Komen have been notifying Planned Parenthood divisions throughout the country that it will stop providing funding for breast cancer screenings and prevention.

"We are alarmed and saddened that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure," Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America said in a statement. "Our greatest desire is for Komen to reconsider this policy and recommit to the partnership on which so many women count."

Planned Parenthood said Komen did not respond to requests to meet about the termination of the partnership, the support of which has directly enabled 170,000 women to receive breast cancer exams in the past five years.

Planned Parenthood is the subject of investigations by Republican members of Congress for allegedly using federal dollars toward providing abortions. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), chair of the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, opened an investigation into the matter in 2011 but nothing has yet come of it.

A statement by Komen to CBS News denied that the charity was politically pressured. "Grant making decisions are not about politics," Komen wrote. The statement also said the organization did make changes to its grant-making process and "implemented more stringent eligibility and performance criteria."

Leslie Aun, a spokesperson for Komen, told the Associated Press that Komen crafted new guidelines that prohibits organizations under investigation from the government from receiving financial support.

Anti-abortion groups have in recent months been targeting Komen, an organization that raised more than $400 million to fight breast cancer in 2010, for its relationship with Planned Parenthood. The anti-abortion organization Life Issues Institute launched a campaign to persuade Komen to halt its partnership with Planned Parenthood, which, according to the Associated Press, granted $650,000 to Planned Parenthood last year.

On its Facebook page, Bradley Mattes, executive director of the Life Issues Institute wrote: "The continued, collective efforts of the pro-life movement have paid off. Our work to educate Komen donors to the reality that the organization has financially supported the nation's largest chain of abortion mills has caused Komen to halt the financial hemorrhaging. Evidently, Komen had to choose between political ideology and financial viability. They made a good choice."

Planned Parenthood said it's working to raise money so that cancer screenings don't stop. It has received a commitment of $250,000 from the Amy and Lee Fikes' foundation.

[LIFEambassador]

There are so many places that give you free sonograms and mammograms PP is not the only place, that is if you really are going there for this services.

[gt3423]

Did anyone ever think these two companies have been breaking the law?

Yes abortion is political however this raises an issue of illegal action. If government funds are being given to planned parenthood, whether directly or through the Cure foundation they still must comply with the purpose of those funds. If the funds are supposed to go towards breast exams, than they can't go for abortions, otherwise they are breaking the law. Both the Cure Foundation and Planned Parenthood would be held responsible.

There are strict accounting rules surrounding Governmental Accounting (Single Audit, also known as the OMB A-133) in which mandates that the accounting of government funds be accurately kept and support of where the funds are spent must be kept as well. Hiding it by mixing the funds into other bank accounts or through complicated transactions are NOT allowed. Normal practice is to use fund accounting.

I'm assuming that Planned Parenthood was using their funds for abortions even though its only 3% of the services they provide but because abortions account for a minimum of 17% to 34% of their revenue (based off of 2009 and 2010 financial reports) People don't have alot of faith in statistics so i would like to define the ones i've listed above (i.e. 17% and 34%).

Planned Parenthood had stated in their 2010 annual report there were 331,798 and 329,455 abortion procedures performed in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Abortion prices range around $500 (base price) to $1000 maybe even more. The revenue reported by planned parenthood was $997,300,000 and $969,900,000 for 2009 and 2010 respectively. If you take the amount of abortions and multiply it by the price for an abortion and divide it by the total revenue you will get the following.

If the Price of an abortion is $500
Abortion Revenue for 2009: 16.76% of total revenue
Abortion Revenue for 2010: 16.98% of total revenue

If the Price of an abortion is $1000
Abortion Revenue for 2009: 33.52% of total revenue
Abortion Revenue for 2010: 33.97% of total revenue

Don't be surprised if this issue is simply an illegal action being hidden by the social outcry of womens rights. Since abortions is a major line of business, not the 3% that is false advertised, the probability that government funds were used inappropriate is high. I wouldn't be surprised if Planned Parenthood is blackmailing the Cure Foundation by stating if we go down (ie lose funding), the Cure Foundation goes down with them.

[lms91464]

I am sad to hear about the decision made my Susan G. Komen, but not surprised. Considering their own questionable history of late, it is hypocrisy for them to pull their grant for the reasons they put forth. It's all about politics for them, not a woman's health anymore. As for those who say Planned Parenthood doesn't deserve the funding based on their belief in a woman's right to choose, that's garbage, considering all of the other services they offer to women who simply couldn't afford it otherwise including mammograms. I guess you have to have money in order to get sick. My own mother had breast cancer twice, she was lucky enough to get nine years before it came back and she eventually passed from metastatic breast cancer. I have donated since, but while I will continue to donate money towards breast cancer research, I will no longer donate to Susan G. Komen Foundation.

[Katie-Fn-J]

I have to say I completely agree with you. Ever since they went on the suing rampage against other breast cancer foundations for using "race for the cure" or having "pink" on a ribbon or as their color, I have stopped donating to them and participating in their fundraising walks. And now they do this? Well done Komen. I think it's deplorable what they are turning into and it's not about the cause any longer. Shame on them.

[texansmartie]

Hi lms91464. :) I would just like to point out about what you said about Planned Parenthood providing mammograms. They, unfortunately, do not. They provide breast exams as well as information about mammograms and breast health but providing mammograms, they do not. Thank you and have a pleasant afternoon!

[noloyalisti]

There is no excuse for being a hypocritical, shallow-minded, short-sighted right winger. You really do have to be a selfish, ignorant, half wit to claim to be conservative.

[syslmod]

So...the anti-abortion freakaziods are going to raise a boatload of money for breast cancer research, right? No..women with breast cancer are not fetuses so they can die. It's in g_ds plan.

[Wolf-Howl-45]

I will be supporting SGK from now on. I don't supoort organizations that KILL WOMEN. Even if they are Unborn. I support All women and will continue to do so. PP gives girls and women lies and death. It is time for Real women to fight for our fellow sisters not buy into the $ and profit that PP receives. When I give to an organization for cancer research, my hard earned $ should not go for killing innocents. but toward saving lives.

[another_woman]

You are showing your ignorance. For one thing, abortions don't kill women - they are fetuses. PP doesn't make a profit - it is a non-profit agency. It is because of the ignorance of people like you that we all suffer. I will no longer donate to the SGK, I will don't to PP instead. I have to make a choice, just like SGK did.

[violist47]

Planned Parenthood saves the lives of women and children through their health services. Abortions are a very small part of what they do. They advise and counsel, do gynecological testing, help with birth control and, indeed with Planned Parenthood, just as their name says. And they also do cancer screening. They provide essential care to women who otherwise have little access to health services. I will always be grateful to Planned Parenthood for the help they gave me - in NOT having an abortion!

[mandiimaii]

This is an outrage. MAMMOGRAMS SAVE LIVES. I am fortunate to have medical insurance which covered my annual mammograms and eventual bilateral mastectomy due to early stage breast cancer in 2005. I have been an avid voice and contributor to sgk foundation for many, many years. The reason: so that women not as fortunate as I can have annual mammograms. My support of the sgk foundation HAD NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH ABORTION - PRO OR CON. My support was simple - help women become educated about this terrible disease and have a place to go for EARLY DETECTION TO SAVE THEIR LIVES. Apparently, saving lives is no longer an issue for sgk. Politics is the issue and to hell with womens' health. Race for the cure!!!!! SGK out of the running.................

[budman7748]

On the contrary. In the last 5 years PP 6000 mamograms according to them. They aborted over 1 million babies.. So where are we at on saving lives?

[violist47]

budman: can you tell me the source of your allegations?

[freedomforus]

I cant believe Susan G Komen Foundation has joined the war against women! I'm sick and tired of this hatred shown toward poor women. Republicans want to take away the Affordable Health Care Act, thus insuring women cannot even get close to buying medical insurance and then this constant attack on Planned Parenthood who has been helping woman for sooo many years. These so called "Christians" are such haters, it makes me sick! I'll send no more donations for anything pink from now on! Jesus never showed hatred toward women like these people do.

[violist47]

Abortion services at PP have a lot to do with poor women, who otherwise would be unable to afford care at all. Planned Parenthood performs relatively few abortions, but it is a life-saving organization for women without resources. I was once one of those women, and I shall be forever grateful.

[rustydusty11]

I have researched abortion since 1987. PP was started by a racist. PP HAS A WEB. PP Teen Sex Education, several pages found. I also find no less then 11 LIES in this information. M.S. + Dr. Spock + Planned Parenthoods lies are responsible for CHILDREN KILLING CHILDREN. I need snail-mail address to illustrate.

[LdyVdr]

Ms. Komen fought the fight and lost. But her spirit was supposed to forever live on through her foundation and the forward progress in raising money in search for that cure regardless race, creed, religion, economic status, etc.. Unfortunately though her body died in 1980, her spirit was just killed in 2012.

[violist47]

Well put!

[LaurenzoP]

It is a shame that this will hurt the people that really need help...uninsured women. Also, Life Issues Institute is nothing but a scare monger. I left a note on their Facebook Wall asking if they would help uninsured women receive breast cancer screenings and they deleted the comment.