DEFUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Defunding Planned Parenthood: All Part of the McMaster Plan

July 09, 2018 - FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL

It's an election year for South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R), and he knows just how to energize voters who are tired of the forced partnership with the abortion industry: defund Planned Parenthood.

McMaster, who succeeded Nikki Haley when she became the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., helped shore up his conservative support heading into November with a major stroke of his pen. Exercising his veto power over a $15.7-million chunk of the South Carolina budget, he made it clear that not a cent of state money would find its way to America's biggest abortion business.

"I have stated many times that I am opposed to what Planned Parenthood is doing. The veto that I have is the most direct way to get the money that is going to [Planned Parenthood] for family planning services..." he explained. 

"Taxpayer dollars must not directly or indirectly subsidize abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. There are a variety of agencies, clinics and medical entities in South Carolina that receive taxpayer funding to offer important women's health and family planning services without offering abortions."

Asked by a reporter if he was worried that his decision would negatively affect other health providers, McMaster fired back, "There is concern, but the big concern is Planned Parenthood using taxpayer money for abortions. I'm going to veto that every chance I get." 

Not surprisingly, Planned Parenthood (which could easily make up the deficit by redirecting some of its $30-million midterm election spending), launched into its familiar sky-is-falling talking points.

Vicki Ringer, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, insisted that "There will be an increase in unwanted pregnancies, an increase in preventable cancers and an increase in abortions, which the governor says he wants to stop." 

That's interesting, since the group's latest annual report showed a 64- percent decline in cancer screenings over the last seven years -- despite raking in more revenue ($1.54 billion) than ever. And if anything, defunding Planned Parenthood should help decrease abortion, since the organization happens to be America's biggest provider of them. 

(For all the myth-busting facts, check out FRC's "The Real Planned Parenthood: Leading the Culture of Death.")

For months, Governor McMaster made defunding Planned Parenthood a key focus of his campaign. We salute him for living up to that promise and giving voters some pro-life progress to build on!

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Tony Perkins' Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC senior writers.