GOP worried Planned Parenthood grants could go to abortions
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Planned Parenthood in Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire, and Washington D.C. will get about $1 million taxpayer dollars in grant money to help clients enroll in new ObamaCare health insurance programs – drawing fire from Republicans who want to make sure the funds don’t go to abortion services.
The money is part of a $67 million package awarded to 105 groups across the country announced earlier this month.
Republicans say President Obama promised, by signing Executive Order 13535 in March 2010, that no ObamaCare money would go to abortion services.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the country and GOP lawmakers contend that there's no way to verify how Planned Parenthood will spend the money.
Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., says, "Money is fungible. And so how can we be assured that the money that is being given -- when Planned Parenthood mandates that each of their affiliates are required to provide abortion services -- how do you separate that money?"
Planned Parenthood says it will use the grant money to reach uninsured Americans.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Spokesman Eric Ferrero told Fox News, "...these grants will enable local Planned Parenthood affiliates to help people enroll in new, more affordable insurance plans that cover preventive care, maternity care, and emergency care. These grants have nothing to do with abortion and won't be used for abortion services."
But Black isn't convinced.
She has introduced a bill to stop this type of grant money - earmarked to promote ObamaCare - from going to Planned Parenthood or any other organization.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Roughly half of the three million patients Planned Parenthood treats every year in its clinics, most of them for women's health services such as Pap tests and pelvic exams, are uninsured.