UPDATED: In what has been talked about behind the scenes, the Susan G. Komen Foundation today announced it will no longer fund the nation's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.
Citing the federal investigation of Planned Parenthood, as well as funding criteria changes, as the reason for the cutoff, Komen says it will no longer give money to the abortion provider. So far no statement has been made on if funding will continue if the investigation clears Planned Parenthood, but it looks unlikley from what is being reported thus far.
Although much criticism is being railed by pro-choice people by the decision because the money was for "breast cancer screenings," it’s vitally important to remember that Planned Parenthood does not, in any case, provide mammograms, and the only breast cancer screening it can give is the same one a woman can do at home alone. Thus, it had to refer people out for any substantial screening that actually helped a woman. This cut, which we hope is permanent, means that Komen can give its money to other places that can provide those screenings even faster. Fox News reports:
Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aunt said the cutoff results from the charity's newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities. According to Komen, this applies to Planned Parenthood because it's the focus of an inquiry launched by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., seeking to determine whether public money was improperly spent on abortions.
Planned Parenthood’s president Cecile Richards immediately issued a letter to supporters saying how disappointed she was and soliciting money from them—though for what it’s hard to tell since they don’t actually provide cancer help anyway.