Press Room

Joint Finance Committee cuts off public funding to Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin

Madison – The Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) adopted a budget motion today that would redirect a portion of state and federal family planning funds away from Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, the state’s largest abortion provider. Passed on a 12-4 party-line vote, the motion prohibits state and federal Title V Maternal and Child Health family planning funds from going to organizations or their affiliates that perform or refer for abortions. 

Pro-Life Wisconsin legislative director Matt Sande offered the following comments:

“We commend the Republican members of the Joint Finance Committee for starting down the long road toward totally defunding Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI) of all taxpayer dollars. Planned Parenthood is the state’s largest abortion provider and in 2010 it collected more than $18 million in federal and state family planning funds, mostly from the Title XIX Medicaid program. Yet chemical and surgical abortions in the state continue to rise. PPWI performed 5,439 abortions in 2009, a 56% increase from 2008, when PPWI was responsible for 3,053 abortions. The Committee’s action today effectively prevents PPWI from receiving close to $1 million annually in state and federal Title V funds. Polls consistently demonstrate that Americans are opposed to taxpayer funding of abortions.  

All money is fungible. Family planning funds free up resources within PPWI to engage in the surgical abortion business. Abortion is not healthcare. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, a ‘non-profit’ organization with a net worth of $9.8 million that profits from killing unborn babies and exploits women in distress, should not be considered a healthcare provider. Wisconsin cannot continue to throw money at organizations that perform or refer for abortion, and we urge legislators to starve the abortion giant by cutting off all state and federal public funding streams to Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.”