Komen Cancer Charity Cuts Planned Parenthood Funds

Abortion at the center of controversial move
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 31, 2012 6:23 PM CST
Komen Cancer Charity Cuts Planned Parenthood Funds
Offices of Planned Parenthood in Burbank, California.   (Getty Images)

Big news on the women's health front: AP reports that the breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure is cutting its ties with Planned Parenthood. The move, which centers on abortion, will mean the end of "hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants" for breast cancer exams. Komen's explanation: It has new rules that prohibit it from giving money to groups under federal investigation, and Planned Parenthood qualifies because of a congressional inquiry into whether it spent public money on abortions.

Planned Parenthood says the charity caved to pressure from anti-abortion groups. "It's hard to understand how an organization with whom we share a mission of saving women's lives could have bowed to this kind of bullying," says President Cecile Richards. "It's really hurtful." At Slate, Amanda Marcotte agrees and calls Komen's move an "act of cowardice." The charity "has already been under serious scrutiny by those who argue that the organization cares more about shoring up their image than making real progress in the fight for women's health, and with this move today, they proved their critics right." Read her full column here. (For an opposing view, click here.)

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