A nationwide pro-life effort will convey the message that the largest abortion provider in the U.S. must no longer receive taxpayer dollars. The Defund Planned Parenthood nationwide protest is set for April 2, coming amid intensified calls for defunding of the abortion giant.
The Pro-Life Action League observed the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday with a prayer campaign for the protection of the unborn, and specifically for the defunding of Planned Parenthood.
This launched their campaign where pro-life indivudals will gather April 2 in front of Planned Parenthood locations across the country to pray and protest to draw attention to the need to end government funding of abortion as taxpayer money continues to pour into Planned Parenthood.
The Pro-Life Action League is joined by Citizens for a Pro-life Society in promoting and organizing the Defund Planned Parenthood events. Pregnancy Help News spoke with representatives from both pro-life organizations.
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Monica Miller, executive director of Citizens for a Pro-life Society, has witnessed first-hand the injustice of abortion having recovered the remains of thousands of aborted children in the dumpsters of abortion centers.
She wrote a thorough account in Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Abortion Wars, describing the horror of more than five decades of abortion on-demand.
“Planned Parenthood is in the business of killing innocent human lives,” she told Pregnancy Help News. “It’s a question of justice.”
Miller cited the recent New York Times article which documents how Planned Parenthood is completely mismanaged, their staff is improperly trained, and facilities need upgrading, including their equipment.
For all the money going into the organization via donors, taxpayer funding, and clients’ payments, much of the funds go into the pockets of their executives and into lobbying for abortion.
Pro-Life Action League Communications Director Matthew Yonke noted that the Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funding of abortion. Planned Parenthood has spent decades propagating the notion that they provide other services for which their funding is intended.
An executive order signed by President Donald Trump reaffirms the federal government's commitment to following the standard established through the Hyde Amendment of no taxpayer funding for abortion.
“Planned Parenthood tries to make arguments that they do more other things than they do abortion but that’s simply not true,” Yonke said. “At the end of the day, they are held afloat by Medicaid payments that allow them to be the nation’s largest abortion provider and without that federal funding they wouldn’t be doing all those abortions.”
Yonke further asserted that Planned Parenthood has violated the law in numerous ways including shielding child predators who have brought girls into their facilities to have abortions, thus failing their duty as mandated reporters.
“There have also been issues of Medicaid fraud they’ve been caught up in over the years and the infamous selling of baby parts scandal from 2015,” Yonke added, referencing the David Daleiden case.
“If you break the law as a medical provider, you are not eligible to be part of the Medicaid program,” he said.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel Chris Schandevel made the case for defunding Planned Parenthood in an ADF article.
“Americans have repeatedly rejected taxpayer funding of abortion,” Schandevel wrote, “and they should not be forced to fund political organizations like Planned Parenthood.”
The April 2 demonstration is an opportunity for citizens across the U.S. to gather outside Planned Parenthood facilities and call for lawmakers to defund the abortion business, which receives some $670.4 million, or almost $1.9 million per day in taxpayer dollars.
The chosen date is notable, as on that day the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Kerr v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. The case is an opportunity for SCOTUS to confirm that the state of South Carolina, as well as other U.S. states, can redirect Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood to medical providers offering actual healthcare services instead of paying for abortions.
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Heartbeat International filed an amicus brief addressing whether the Medicaid Act’s any-qualified provider provision unambiguously confers a private right upon a Medicaid beneficiary to choose a specific provider. Heartbeat is the largest network of pregnancy help organizations in the U.S. and the world. Heartbeat had filed an amicus brief last July as well asking the Supreme Court to take the case.
Adam Mathews, counsel for Heartbeat International, stated in the brief that the court should rule in favor of the petitioner to ensure states have the power to protect taxpayer dollars and preborn life. Specifically, to clarify the proper process of challenging the determination of qualification for a provider.
More information about hosting or attending a Defund Planned Parenthood protest on April 2 is available at the event's dedicated website.
As of press time there were over 75 locations nationwide with scheduled protests.
“We have a whole set of tools to help you lead a protest even if this is your first time doing any kind of public event,” Yonke said. “From the first step of how to find your location, all the way up to how to let people know about it and even get the attention of the media.”
“This is an incredible opportunity to do this along with folks across the country,” Yonke said.
“As a pro-life activist leader, I say 50% of the success is just showing up,” Miller said. “We do hope of course to get some media attention, there are going to be press releases sent out in the days leading up to the April 2 event. We want to make an issue out of this, get people talking about it.”
“For decades the federal government has been giving our taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood—we’re looking at millions and millions and millions of dollars that have gone into that pro-abortion group,” Miller said. “It’s time to say no more.”
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
