Hartzler Introduces the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2019

Press Release

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), chairwoman of the Values Action Team, today introduced the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2019. The legislation would place a one-year moratorium on all federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which benefits from taxpayer money while performing and profiting from elective abortions. The legislation would further increase funding for community healthcare centers that focus on comprehensive care for women and their babies. Funds would once again be made available if the abortion giant and its affiliates focused on non-abortion health care services that are appropriate for the taxpayer to support.

"Taxpayers should not have to pay for Planned Parenthood's abortion industry," said Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, chair of the House Values Action Team (VAT). "Abortion is not healthcare, yet it is the foundation of Planned Parenthood's mission. In its latest annual report, Planned Parenthood boasts performing more than 321,000 abortions while receiving over half a billion dollars a year from the taxpayer. These staggering numbers represent the lives of children who no longer are with us, and Americans are forced to support it," said Hartzler, who noted that there has been a decline in Planned Parenthood's comprehensive healthcare services and declining adult patients.

In 2016, abortions made up 96% of Planned Parenthood's pregnancy resolution services, while prenatal services, miscarriage care, and adoption referrals accounted for only 2.3% (7,762), 0.4% (1,182) and 1.2% (3,889), respectively. Yet recently, Planned Parenthood promised to supporters to deliver a multi-million-dollar plan in 2019 which expands and secures the billion-dollar abortion industry into the future.

Hartzler's legislation would also allocate additional federal dollars to women's healthcare, specifically providing $235 million to community health centers nationwide. "Community Health Centers are more numerous than Planned Parenthood clinics and unlike abortion providers, offer comprehensive healthcare to women and their babies," Hartzler added.

"There are over 13,500 Federally Qualified Health Centers nationwide and only 650 Planned Parenthood clinics. That is 20 federal health centers for every one Planned Parenthood facility. In my home state of Missouri alone there are over 28 Federally Qualified Health Centers with 228 service sites, serving over 527,000 Missourians, in comparison to only 12 Planned Parenthood sites," said Hartzler.

These Federally Qualified Health Centers not only offer screening and prevention services, pap smears, cancer screenings, breast exams, and prenatal services, but they also offer a full spectrum of other primary care services that Planned Parenthood fails to provide.

"We should be investing in women's healthcare, not abortion," said Hartzler. "This legislation will help ensure that the American taxpayer supports efforts to improve the health and well-being of women and their babies by increasing funds for health centers that share this very important goal," added Hartzler.

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