The nation’s largest provider of abortions and its affiliates are spending nearly $34 million this election cycle to ensure Hillary Clinton and other Democrats will be in office to grow their industry on the taxpayer’s dime.
Data provided by Open Secrets shows, since 2012, Planned Parenthood, its various political and lobbying arms, and its employees have spent $33.9 million to elect Democrats to public office. Yet, Planned Parenthood receives over $500 million each year from American taxpayers.
“Planned Parenthood stands alone as a major recipient of taxpayer funding that is also a major participant in elections,” Casey Mattox, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, recently told the Daily Signal. “They have pledged over $20 million in this election cycle alone. This is an organization that held up funding for Zika, for example, demanding their share of the money. All the while, they’re managing to find $20 million to spend to support politicians that they want to keep in office.”
Planned Parenthood’s 2015 annual report shows the organization’s total number of patients and services fell last fiscal year. Yet, somehow, and unlike any other “business” in that situation, its overall revenue increased.
In its last year, Planned Parenthood served 2.5 million individuals, the lowest number since 1998. Its total number of “services” – which ranges from handing out condoms to abortions – dropped 11 percent, from 10.5 million to 9.5 million.
In its last fiscal year, in fact, Planned Parenthood performed its least number of abortions since 2007 – down from 327,653 in 2014 to 323,999 in 2015.
The abortion industry giant also experienced a $38.3 million decline in private donations as well last year.
What did not drop, however, was its taxpayer funding. Despite fewer services and patients, Planned Parenthood received a 4.8 percent raise in taxpayer funding, from $528.4 million in 2014 to $553.7 million last fiscal year. According to its report, taxpayers now provide Planned Parenthood with 43 percent of its total income. As a result, last fiscal year, the abortion chain that calls itself “nonprofit” reported nearly $59 million in excess revenue, and more than $1.4 billion in net assets.
The most recent IRS form 990 for 2014 shows that Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards’ salary and compensation jumped to $957,952, double the salary she made just three years ago. In 2011, Richards’ reported income was $420,153.
Hillary Clinton, however, says Planned Parenthood is underfunded. In January, Clinton said that – if elected president – she would urge Congress to give the abortion chain yet another raise in taxpayer funding. In addition, the Democrat nominee said Planned Parenthood – which was founded by eugenicist Margaret Sanger – would be one of her “partners at the table” as president, assisting her in increasing access to abortion, particularly for black and Hispanic women, in states that have restricted the procedure.
Clinton has also vowed to repeal the Hyde Amendment, a longstanding federal law that bars taxpayer funding of abortions through the Medicaid program. Clinton – who says unborn babies have no constitutional rights – has promised to expand abortion services to low-income black and Hispanic women.
“I will always defend Planned Parenthood,” Clinton said. “And I will say – consistently and proudly – Planned Parenthood should be funded, supported, and appreciated; not undermined, misrepresented, and demonized.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.