Congresswoman: Take Away Planned Parenthood's Government Funding, Tax-Exempt Status

It's time to stop government funding and tax breaks for “Big Abortion.” That's the message from U.S. Rep. Michele Bachman, R.-Minn.

Speaking at the Family Research Council Values Voter Summit on September 12, Bachman detailed how Planned Parenthood – a controversial non-profit “family planning” organization that reportedly performed 289,750 abortions in 2006 [1] – has expanded significantly. She cited a June 23 Wall Street Journal article by Stephanie Simon [2] that revealed 501(c)3 organization had a record $1 billion in annual revenue in a recent financial report.

“I got a call from my husband one morning that said, 'Michele, take a look at the front page of The Wall Street Journal,” Bachman said. “There was an exposé talking about how Planned Parenthood revenue's last year were $1 billion. One billion dollars.”

Bachman noted the absurdity of an organization bringing in record revenues and boasting a budget surplus of $115 million needing any help from the government in the form of tax breaks and government grants.

“They are a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, which means they pay no taxes,” Bachman added. “Planned Parenthood pays no taxes and they receive over $300 million per year in grants from the federal government. So if you combine that failure to pay taxes, which would equal 35 percent plus over $300 million in grants – their income should be about $300 million a year.”

According to the Journal article, Steve Trombley, the top Planned Parenthood executive for Illinois, had said he thought of Planned Parenthood as “the LensCrafters of family planning.” Trombley was referring to an eye care business known for its convenience and quick turnaround time for prescription glasses and contacts.

“Here's the key,” Trombley said, 'We want Planned Parenthood to be the LensCrafters of big abortion,” Bachman said. “And my answer to them is: I agree with you. I think you should be the LensCrafters of big abortion and do it on your own dime and take away your tax-exempt status and take away every grant you have because you should not be able to get by with no taxes and government grants.” 

“They should be defunded,” Bachman said emphatically. “And so what we did – I spoke with Joe Pitts [R-Penn.] that morning. We had gone over to visit the president and I showed Joe Pitts, wonderful congressman, pro-life advocate from Pennsylvania, and I said, 'Joe, we have to a special order hour on this issue – on defunding Planned Parenthood. And it was easy to get all our members to join us and come together and we spent an hour telling the truth to the American people on C-SPAN explaining why we need to defund Planned Parenthood.”

According to Bachman, the response was seen immediately at the Capitol switchboard, but she faulted the pre-2007 GOP-controlled Congress for failing to take action to defund Planned Parenthood.

“We had more phone calls, they were melting Congress after that special order,” said Bachman.  “That's the one thing that the Republicans should have done when they were in power – was to defund the left, especially Planned Parenthood. That's all we have to do if we regain the majority.”

Jeff Poor is a staff writer for the Business & Media Institute, a division of the Media Research Center.  Special to the Culture and Media Institute.