Many concerned Americans are following the battle in Congress to defund Planned Parenthood, spurred by videos released over the summer by the Center for Medical Progress allegedly showing the organization selling the pieces of aborted babies. However, even if the abortion organization loses its funding from the federal budget, many tax payers will still be supporting it with their hard-earned dollars. Because along with the money they get from the from the federal budget, Planned Parenthood receives money from Obamacare and from state coffers.
A General Accounting Office Study requested by pro-life members of Congress and released at the end of March reported that six abortion advocacy organizations (Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), Population Council, International Planned Parenthood Federation of America (IPPF), Guttmacher Institute, Advocates for Youth, and Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States) get taxpayer funding from several government sources:
(...) including: Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), Population Council, International Planned Parenthood Federation of America (IPPF), Guttmacher Institute, Advocates for Youth, and Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States ..spent $481 million in federal funding from Fiscal Years 2010 to 2012, as well as about $1.2 billion in combined federal and state funds under federal health programs that require shared funding. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) spent the greatest share of this public funding – approximately $1.5 billion in combined state and federal dollars, or an average of about $500 million each year.
As reported by Live Action News, 41 percent "of Planned Parenthood’s annual revenue—$528 million— came in the form of government grants and reimbursements, according to the group’s 2013-14 Annual Report":
While Medicaid and Title X are not directly paying for abortions at the federal level these programs ensures that Planned Parenthood continues to receive over $500 million in taxpayer funding every year. As the nation’s largest abortion chain, Planned Parenthood commits over 320,000 abortions annually, and is the leading abortion advocacy group with tremendous political clout.
Pro-abortion advocates contend that none of the federal dollars pay for abortions. What they don't mention is that the federal funds pay for other things like rent and lights, etc. freeing up other money to pay for abortions.
In 2010, Obamacare didn't have enough votes until supposedly pro-life Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) announced that the promise of an executive order on abortion from President Obama had convinced him and other pro-life Democrats that there would be no public funding of abortion under the bill. After the bill was passed, the President issued Executive Order 13535, just as he'd promised.
It did little to stop Obamacare from covering abortions.
From Live Action News:
The Government Accountability Office reported in September of 2014 that 1,036 health insurance exchange plans under Obamacare illegally cover elective abortions. The health care law mandates insurers offering coverage for elective abortions to collect a minimum surcharge of $12 a year from individuals, which is then placed into a separate account to pay for abortion procedures. This rule, however, is being ignored by insurers, according to the GAO.
Therefore, according to the GAO, Obamacare is sending federal funding to health insurance plans that cover abortion. And, since about one third of all abortions in the United States are performed by Planned Parenthood, the group is getting some of the federal money going into those exchange plans.
According to the abortion advocacy organization The Guttmacher Institute and reported by Live Action News, 17 states directly fund elective abortions under Medicaid, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia. Those states use public funding to pay for abortion procedures. From the report:
While the 1976 Hyde Amendment prevents federal taxpayer dollars from funding abortions through Medicaid—with the exception of cases involving rape, incest, and life of the mother—the program is jointly funded by both the federal and state governments. The 17 states listed above, however, have expanded the definition to include most elective abortions.
So depending on where you live, defunding Planned Parenthood will not stop your tax dollars from supporting the ogranization's infanticide business, or the selling of baby parts.