by Micah J. Fleck
A new report suggests that a Republican Senate-backed bill providing funding to victims of the Zika virus might open a door for Planned Parenthood to also receive some of that government-provided funding, which some conservative writers are arguing could lead PP to effectively circumvent the Hyde Amendment and use these funds for their abortion procedures.
According to Christian opinion blog The Stream:
A GOP Senate Appropriations Committee aide has confirmed to The Stream that Republicans will allow Planned Parenthood to “apply for reimbursements” under new Zika prevention funding proposed by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
On Thursday, the Republican-controlled committee released a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the federal government’s operations funded until December 9. Federal funding is currently approved through September 30, after which discretionary operations of the government would shut down. In addition to funding the federal government, the CR bill provides $500 million for emergency flood assistance in several states, and provides $1.1 billion to fight the spread of the Zika virus.
Democrats have thrice-blocked a stand-alone funding bill intended to fight Zika in Florida, Puerto Rico and elsewhere, in part because Planned Parenthood would be unable to access $95 million used to stop the virus’ spread.
The worry for the pro-life crowd, however, is that such “reimbursements” could lead to an unrestricted use of government funds within Planned Parenthood’s operations once acquired.
The report continues:
According to the GOP aide, “the Zika agreement does not provide funding for any particular non-government organization. Like other health care providers, Planned Parenthood and its two affiliate clinics in Puerto Rico are not guaranteed funding in any form.”
“Health care providers will be eligible to apply for reimbursements through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or through the Puerto Rico Department of Health,” continued the aide.
Pro-life advocates may also take issue with the funding of contraceptives. Many forms also act as an abortion-inducing drug or device. None of this money is going through Title X, which is where Planned Parenthood gets tens of millions annually for providing contraceptives and abortifacients to women.
The rest of the money is going to international aid, vaccine development and other Zika-related efforts. That funding is detailed by the committee’s official summary of the Zika section of the funding bill.
One Heritage Foundation analyst accused Republicans of giving Planned Parenthood a chance to “get a raise,” since the CR funds both the annual $500 million-plus that typically goes to Planned Parenthood and leaves open the door to other reimbursements.
These fears seem a bit misplaced, however, since there have already been opportunities for Planned Parenthood to potentially skirt around the Hyde Amendment and “lose” their federal funding into a melting pot alongside their private funds, yet there has been no proof of such shenanigans thus far, and PP seems to still be playing things by the book and only funding abortion services through their private donations. On top of that, all the political heat PP has gotten in recent years also means they are more under the microscope and risk losing all federal funding if ever caught merging their sources of funds or intentionally fudging numbers.
All in all, we will just have to wait and see, and President Obama has even been stated to be considering a veto of this bill regardless, which might end all apprehensions before they even begin to become valid.
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