The Obama administration has defied a decision by the government of New Hampshire to defund abortion provider Planned Parenthood, announcing that it had ?awarded family planning contracts to Planned Parenthood of Northern New England despite the state Executive Council?s vote against the group,? reported the Nashua Telegraph. The state newspaper claimed the administration was forced ?to act quickly because the Executive Council had left 16,000 families without services that range from birth control to exams for breast or cervical cancer.?
In refunding the abortion giant the Obama administration declared that there was an urgent need to reinstate services with an experienced provider that is familiar with the provision of Title X family planning services and applicable laws, regulations, and administrative requirements, and has a history of successfully providing services in these areas of the state.
As reported by Baptist Press News, the states Republican-controlled Executive Council voted 3-2 in June to prevent Planned Parenthood of Northern New Englands six New Hampshire clinics from receiving $1.8 million in federal and state family planning funds. The council, which is the only one among the 50 state governments, cited Planned Parenthoods abortion practice in making its decision.
While the Council had asked the states Health and Human Services Commissioner, Nick Toumpas, to find appropriate agencies that could fulfill the non-abortion family planning services formerly covered by Planned Parenthood, instead, according to Reuters News Service, Toumpas alerted Washington that the state was violating federal rules requiring family planning services be provided statewide.
Reuters noted that New Hampshires decision to de-fund the nations premier abortion provider was part of a national campaign by abortion foes to cut government funding to the group, which is already barred by federal law from using government money for abortions, which it funds separately. Pro-life leaders note that while Title X funding may not directly pay for abortions, it does so indirectly by paying for Planned Parenthood’s overhead costs, salaries, and other operating expenses.
Kevin Smith, director of New Hampshire’s pro-life Cornerstone Action, said that the states voters have made it very clear that they do not want one cent going towards the funding of abortions, either directly or indirectly. He noted that a good share of Planned Parenthood of Northern New Englands current revenue of $18 million is earmarked for things like overhead costs, salaries, marketing, and public policy advocacy. New Hampshire women deserve better than a non-profit that would deny women health services because they value administrative costs and political power above patient care.
Baptist Press News reported that Planned Parenthood is the countrys leading abortion provider. Its affiliates reported more than 332,000 abortions in 2009, and it received more than $363 million in government grants and contracts during 2008-09.
Thus far, at least eight states have voted to put Planned Parenthood out of the abortion business in their jurisdictions, including Texas, New Jersey, Tennessee and Wisconsin, reported Reuters. The news agency added, Federal judges have ordered North Carolina, Kansas and Indiana to halt such moves after Planned Parenthood filed suit in those states.
Marjorie Dannenfelser of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, decried the re-funding move by the Obama administration, saying that President Obama has proven time and again that he will do whatever it takes to ensure that Planned Parenthood continues to receive taxpayer subsidies, even if that means going around a states elected representatives. She pointed out that Obama is the most pro-abortion President in our countrys history and his allegiance to Planned Parenthood is unwavering.
Dannenfelser said that taxpayers are becoming more and more vocal about their dissatisfaction with their dollars being used to fund Americas abortion giant. Obama heard these requests during the recent budget debate and chose to ignore them, putting the funding of the federal government at risk to ensure Planned Parenthood would continue to receive taxpayer money.
A Susan B. Anthony List commentary following the Obama administrations announcement declared that the Presidents method of leadership riding roughshod over the will of the people seems hardly in keeping with the American way or with the spirit of New Hampshire, a state which has one of the greatest of all state mottos, Live Free, or Die. These are people who value the right to live and to live freely. To be told that they must finance abortion and they will have no say in the matter is definitely not living freely. It is important that everyone in New Hampshire stands firm against this explosion of federal power in order to keep the taxpayer out of the abortion business.
