The Biden/Harris budget is radically out of touch with the American people on the issue of taxpayer support for abortion. The majority of Americans do not want their tax dollars funding abortion, yet the Biden/Harris administration removed the long-standing – since 1976 – Hyde protections against such a policy. Joe Biden once said ‘don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.’ Sadly, this administration does not value human life nor does it represent the wishes of mainstream America on such a critical issue.”
Tom McClusky, president of March for Life Action
New Title X Rules Would Restore Sanger’s Eugenics Project
The Title X program was authorized in 1970 for the purpose of reducing population growth by providing family planning services to low-income women. From nearly the beginning, the program warranted concerns due to its lack of parental notice for minors, the sharing of resources between abortion clinics and Title X clinics in the same facility – or “co-location” — and mandatory abortion referrals for pregnant women. But perhaps the most troubling aspect of the Title X program is that it has provided a high level of funding for the nation’s largest abortion business, Planned Parenthood. Most recently that number was around $60 million per year. This amounts to the government subsidizing abortion without any mandate from the American people.
Some argue that Title X family planning dollars cannot, by law, directly pay for abortions. But these same skeptics ignore the fact that the funding is used to offset the operational and overhead costs of abortion businesses that both encourage and refer for abortions while rendering Title X services. According to the organization’s current president, Planned Parenthood affiliates “proudly” performed 345,672 abortions in FY2018. During this time period Planned Parenthood claimed almost $2 billion in net assets and took in a total of $616.8 million in taxpayer funding — an increase from $543.7 million the year prior.
When the Trump administration’s proposed Title X rules, which were designed to realign with the original intent of the program, required physical and financial separation of abortion and Title X services, Planned Parenthood decided to drop out of it. The abortion business bemoaned the fact that it would lose about $60 million in taxpayer funds that could have helped poor women. But financially dropping out of the Title X program made sense in terms of Planned Parenthood’s bottom line. The $60 million was more than made up for between an increase in Medicaid funding and fundraising off of opposition to the pro-life Trump administration. In fact, Planned Parenthood took in $591 million in donations in 2018, an increase of over 50% from 2014 levels.
Despite this healthy financial picture – thanks to American taxpayer support — the Biden administration is eager to enrich Planned Parenthood even more. The administration’s proposed Title X rules once again permit co-location and mandate abortion referrals, but they also include some troubling additions. The proposed rules specify that, in determining whether to award Title X project funding, the department of Health and Human Services must consider “the ability of the applicant to advance health equity.”
Advancing “health equity” is the federal government’s way of saying Title X grant recipients, the largest of which has been Planned Parenthood, must target underprivileged, minority populations for reduction. This comes just as Planned Parenthood is attempting to distance itself from its eugenicist founder Margaret Sanger, who also targeted underprivileged minorities, and particularly communities of color.
Since the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, some have estimated more than 19 million African American children have been lost to abortion. Tragically, Sanger’s strategy of targeting this minority has been successfully implemented by Planned Parenthood. In 2015, African Americans made up only 13.4% of the population and yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control, they accounted for 36% of abortions performed annually in the United States.
In the name of “equity,” the Biden administration is transforming the Title X program into a taxpayer funded eugenics project in the Planned Parenthood tradition of Margaret Sanger. The U.S. government should play no role in institutionalizing the racially discriminatory strategies of Planned Parenthood and its founder. The abortion industry’s leader is far too controversial (and wealthy) to be worthy of public support.
8 Ways the Ill-Named HEROES Act Funds Abortion
For the second time in dealing with Coronavirus, Politifact decided that defending Speaker Nancy Pelosi was more important than presenting the facts. Their latest posting unfortunately portrays the March for Life as liars—even though they never took the initiative to ask for information to substantiate our claim that the HEROES Act would help fund abortion. Not only can we confidently support our claim, but we have collected EIGHT different pieces of overwhelming evidence.
March for Life Action took to twitter to stand up to Politifact and present the facts. You can read a break down of the thread below.
Nancy Pelosi's HEROES Act does support abortion despite what Politifact says. If @PolitiFact had asked before publishing their "analysis" we would have supplied them the following information with citations: 1/13 (long thread, bring coffee)
— March for Life Action (@MFLAction) June 4, 2020
While it would be great if Politifact got the record straight, what is really important is that we take a stand to make sure our lawmakers know that pro-life Americans DO NOT support ANY public funding of the abortion industry. Click below to send a message to your elected officials about demanding Hyde protections in funding bills.
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8 Ways the Ill-Named HEROES Act Funds Abortion
1. Division A, Title III—Financial Services and General Government (FSGG)—Coronavirus State Fiscal Relief Fund and Coronavirus Local Fiscal Relief Fund (pgs. 22-33): These two relief funds, lack pro-life protections, appropriates $915 billion.
2. Division A, Title VI—Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education—Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund—Health Care Provider Relief Fund. Division C, Title VI, Subtitle A—Assistance to Providers and Health System—HEALTH CARE PROVIDER RELIEF FUND—SEC. 30611: The bill creates a novel Health Care Provider Relief Fund containing $100 billion that could go to abortion providers. (pg. 570), (pg. 585), (pg. 87).
3. Division B, Title II—Additional Relief for Workers: This division includes expansions of federal subsidies of employer-sponsored health insurance, including plans that cover abortion: Subtitle B— Section 20211 – Tax Credits to Prevent Business Interruption (pg. 236). Subtitle C— Section 20221 – Credits for Paid Sick and Family Leave (pg. 267). Through this credit, taxpayers subsidize the cost of health insurance that may often include elective abortion. This bill extends the tax credit an additional calendar year but does not include any Hyde protections.
4. Division C, Title III—Private Insurance Provisions, Subtitle B—Worker Health Coverage Protection (pg. 402-448): Many employer-sponsored health care plans include elective abortions, but no Hyde protections were applied to ensure that taxpayer dollars would not finance abortion-covering plans.
5. Division I, Small Business Provisions— AMENDMENTS TO THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM (beginning pg. 821): The HEROES Act removes the affiliation rule from the PPP allowing the abortion-giant Planned Parenthood access to the funds.
6. Division Q, Title I—Provisions Relating to State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Workers (pg. 1527). The bill creates a COVID-19 Heroes Fund that will issue grants for employers to pay individual essential workers $13/hour up to $10,000 above normal employee earnings until 60 days after the last day of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Nothing bars abortion clinic employees from eligibility for this premium pay.
7. The Manager’s Amendment (Title VII—Other Matters, Sec. 30701), — States that, both in this bill and provisions in past COVID-19 relief bills signed into law, no person shall be “excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination… based on any factor … such as… pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions…”. If adopted, this provision could override the Hyde protections that have been included in this bill and in past COVID-19-related legislation: the CARES Act (HR 748), the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (HR 6201), and the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (HR 6074).
8. The Manager’s Amendment — Also contains two provisions (SEC. 30307 and SEC. 30308) that provide funding to group health insurance plans. Neither provision includes any Hyde protection language to ensure taxpayer dollars do not fund health plans that include elective abortion.
We will continue to provide you with this important pro-life information, but we need your help to make sure our elected officials hear from you to really make a difference!
Remembering a Pro-life Heroine: Mary Ann St. Cloud
Every January since 1974, thousands upon thousands have made a pilgrimage to Washington D.C., sometimes in the frigid cold, to march against the abhorrent decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, to March for Life.
Our marching and our year-round advocacy for the unborn would not be possible without the generosity of many pro-life people from across the country. As we approach the 2020 March for Life on January 24th, we’d like to recognize a March for Life benefactor whose life testifies to the power of embracing her personal mission in the battle for the right to life for the unborn and compassionate care for women, our friend Mary Ann St. Cloud.
Written below is a short biography of Mary Ann authored by her daughters Mary Pat and Antonia.
We hope her life inspires you to continue fighting for the unborn!
“Mary Ann St Cloud was a lifelong defender of the humanity, rights, and lives of the unborn. Even in her final years and illness her passion for the prolife cause never wavered.
When Mary Ann moved to the Sacramento area in the early 1970’s she and a small group of like-minded women began to meet to strategize ways to fight the pro-abortion laws and culture. Various pro-life groups were in their founding stages at this time. These ladies formed a group called The Committee to Defend the Unborn. They would strategize on how they could be an effective voice. While these ladies were supporters of the early Sacramento Life Center and Sacramento Right to Life they were also their own pro-life voice. Knowing that their state was one of the first to legalize abortion six years before Roe v Wade, they became educated and knowledgeable of the legislative process; they wrote letters to legislators, stayed aware of pending legislation and were a presence at the state capital as bills came forward. They participated in demonstrations to be a presence to the general public. The committee periodically put out a newsletter. An edition always went out during an election season with information about the candidates so voters would be informed. The group also corresponded with local spiritual leaders and pastors to keep the pro-life cause alive in the nearby religious communities. Through all these endeavors Mary Ann was involved from the very beginning and at the forefront. As other pro-life organizations grew and expanded their influence and services, committee members became volunteers for these groups while carrying on their personal missions.
Mary Ann was always proud and forthright about her pro-life support. She was never defensive or apologetic for her views and activism. She instilled this passion in her two daughters who are actively pro-life; including one who has been active for over forty years in a myriad of pro-life activities and is now an officer and board member of the Sacramento Life Center. (The SLC founded in 1972, was the fourth of now 3,000 pregnancy medical clinics established across the country starting as a resource center working out of a member’s home.)
Mary Ann was a great admirer of Nellie Gray. She was impressed with her eloquence, commitment and ability to bring about a national voice for the unborn. She was thrilled with the growth of the March for Life into the remarkable organization that it is today. She appreciated the importance of this national voice and assemblage recognizing the importance of all our communities coming together as one great voice for the defenseless unborn. The National March for Life has a proven record that inspired confidence in Mary Ann. It was no surprise to the family that Mary Ann chose the National March for Life to be a benefactor of her trust.
Mary Ann Taylor was born in Sacramento on July 2, 1932. Mary Ann graduated from St Francis High School and went on to Stanford University where she met Charles Martell. After she graduated, they were married in 1954. Mary Ann was widowed in 1969 and raised her two daughters alone until she remarried in 1979. She passed away on February 18, 2019.”
The pro-life movement continues to save lives because of thousands, like Mary Ann, who confidently say “yes” to their own unique, unrepeatable mission to uphold the inherent dignity of life. Thank you, Mary Ann St. Cloud, for your generosity to the pro-life movement and to the March for Life!
Planned parenthood loses government funding
This is big news.
Following the Administration’s recent Title X rule separating abortion from family planning, yesterday, Planned Parenthood, our nation’s largest abortion provider, withdrew from Title X programs, and in doing showed once again that abortion advocacy is more important than women’s health.
March for Life President Jeanne Mancini was interviewed on the CBS Evening News to comment on this important development. Watch >>>>
Additionally, below is a round-up of new stories in which March for Life President Jeanne Mancini is quoted on Planned Parenthood withdrawing from the Title X program:
- CBS w/ Jan Crawford – Planned Parenthood rejects abortion “gag order,” exits Title X program
- Planned Parenthood Refuses Federal Funds Over Abortion Restrictions
- FOX – Planned Parenthood abandons Title X federal funds after Trump rule prohibits abortion referrals
- Planned Parenthood Defunds Itself by Withdrawing as Title X Recipient
- Washington Examiner – Planned Parenthood to forgo funding from federal program over abortion rule
- Planned Parenthood Chooses to Reject Future Title X Federal Funds Rather than Comply with New Rule
- National Review – Planned Parenthood Refuses Title X Funding in Response to Trump Administration Restrictions
- Yahoo News – Planned Parenthood Refuses Title X Funding in Response to Trump Administration Restrictions
- Planned Parenthood Withdraws From Title X Over Trump Abortion Rule
- Planned Parenthood leaves federal funding program thanks to Trump administration rule
Abortion is neither healthcare nor family planning and taxpayer dollars should not support abortion.
Leana Wen’s recent firing and Planned Parenthood’s decision on Title X continues to reveal that the organization’s mission is political abortion advocacy, not healthcare.
