Boehner: Taxpayers Should Not Fund Planned Parenthood

Washington, Jul 24 - House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement after House Democrats rejected a common sense amendment offered by House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) to block abortion provider Planned Parenthood, which is under investigation for fraud, from receiving taxpayer dollars:

“Taxpayer dollars should not be used to aid the destruction of innocent human life. It’s a principle that has bipartisan backing in Congress and strong support across the nation. In 2007, Planned Parenthood performed more than 300,000 abortions, and approximately one of every five abortions in the United States occurs at a Planned Parenthood center. At the same time, Planned Parenthood is one of the largest recipients of taxpayer dollars under Title X of the Public Health Services Act, even though it is currently under investigation in multiple states for allegations of fraudulently using these funds.

“Mr. Pence’s amendment was straightforward: taxpayers should not be asked to fund Planned Parenthood’s work in advancing the abortion industry. Congress should not reward organizations accused of committing fraud with taxpayer dollars, nor should it pave the way for the taxpayer-subsidized destruction of innocent life.”