Nationwide Rallies Support Congressional Move to Defund Planned Parenthood

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"Taxpayers are Sickened" by Abortion Giant, Declares National Organizer of February 11 Gatherings

Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net

CHICAGO, Feb. 8, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- As Congress moves forward with plans to reallocate funding from Planned Parenthood, America's largest abortion business, to comprehensive health care centers, citizens across America will speak up in support of the action. Saturday, February 11, groups will gather outside over 200 Planned Parenthood facilities in 44 states and the nation's capital to #ProtestPP. There will also be overseas support with a demonstration at the London headquarters of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which was recently defunded by executive order.

"The federal government has been subsidizing Planned Parenthood to the tune of more than $430 million annually," explained Eric Scheidler, national organizer of #ProtestPP. "This, at the same time that the nation's largest abortion provider holds $500 ticket fundraisers and charges a woman about $500 to abort her baby," he continued. "On top of that, Planned Parenthood is trafficking baby body parts. Taxpayers are sickened to see their money spent in support of these atrocities."

WHAT: #ProtestPP rallies to encourage Congress to reallocate Planned Parenthood's taxpayer funding to real women's health care providers

WHEN: Saturday, February 11, 2017

WHERE: across America, find local times and locations at protestpp.com/locations

WHO: concerned citizens

These #ProtestPP rallies will emphasize four key points:

The 34% of US abortions performed by Planned Parenthood underscores the fact that they are not a general health care service provider.
Fraudulent Medicaid claims, fetal tissue harvesting, and documented health code violations show Planned Parenthood's systemic disregard for accountability to taxpayers.
Planned Parenthood exaggerates their role in women's health care. The organization actually provides less than 2% of manual breast exams, fewer than 1% of pap tests, and 0% of mammograms, annually.
Moving Planned Parenthood's funding to federally qualified health centers will offer women and their families a wider range of health care services and a higher standard of care.

Citizens for a Pro-Life Society Director, Dr. Monica Migliorino Miller, stated, "The defunding of Planned Parenthood is a matter of moral principle. Not a single cent of American tax dollars should go to an organization that kills innocent human life."

"We are closer than we've ever been to defunding Big Abortion—Planned Parenthood. Now is the time for a groundswell of grassroots efforts. We call on Congress and President Trump to reallocate those funds to health centers which help women without killing babies," commented Mark Harrington, National Director of Created Equal.

"Planned Parenthood's brand is at an all-time low and their leadership reflects how disconnected they are from science and basic American values. This weekend thousands of Americans will stand in peaceful opposition to send a message that abortion is not health care and as the nation's largest abortion operation, Planned Parenthood should not get $1 of taxpayer money, much less $430 million," stated Shawn Carney, President, 40 Days for Life.

#ProtestPP events, coordinated by Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, Created Equal, and the Pro-Life Action League, along with 40 Days for Life and the Susan B. Anthony List, offer Americans a united chance to speak out against the nation's largest abortion chain, which kills over 300,000 babies each year. At the same time, participants will encourage Congress to strip Planned Parenthood of its nearly half-billion dollar taxpayer-funded stipend and redirect those monies to comprehensive health care centers through the budget reconciliation process.

Scheidler, also serving as executive director for the Pro-Life Action League, remarked, "This is a nationwide event, but at the same time it is a local community concern. As citizens gather to encourage Congress to quit sending money to an organization that specializes in killing children, they are also declaring that they do not want Planned Parenthood to continue operating in their neighborhoods."

"Americans want to end taxpayer funding of abortion – that includes stopping taxpayer funding for the nation's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, and ensuring any Obamacare replacement is pro-life, and does not allow tax dollars or tax credits to pay for health care plans that include abortion. Planned Parenthood is a profit-driven, abortion-centered business that has performed more than 300,000 abortions in the last three years for which data are available. They do not need or deserve taxpayer dollars, and redirecting their federal funding to rural and community health centers would be a victory for women's health. These comprehensive clinics outnumber Planned Parenthood facilities 20 to 1 nationwide and provide far more services. The majority of Americans want taxpayer funding to go to real women's health care, not abortion. This Saturday, that majority will let their voices be heard at #ProtestPP gatherings nationwide," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser.

President Donald Trump has made four specific commitments to the pro-life movement, including reallocating Planned Parenthood's taxpayer funding to comprehensive, whole-woman health care centers. Polling in 2018 Senate battleground states shows that voters support redirecting Planned Parenthood's funding to community health centers.

About the organizers:

Pro-Life Action League
The Pro-Life Action League was founded by Joe Scheidler in 1980 with the aim of saving babies from abortion through direct action, and is now headed by Joe’s son, Eric. Not content to await a political or judicial solution to abortion, the League seeks to stop the killing of unborn children right now through all available peaceful means, including public protest, sidewalk counseling, education, youth outreach, and national leadership. Visit www.prolifeaction.org to learn more.

Citizens for a Pro-Life Society
Citizens for a Pro-life Society is an activist organization, founded on Catholic principles of morality and social justice, dedicated to advocacy of the sanctity of human life, especially protection of the right to life of unborn children. The goal is to work to end the culture of death and restore a culture of life, to re-establish respect for human life created in the image and likeness of God. Visit www.prolifesociety.net to learn more.

Created Equal
Created Equal was inspired by Mark Harrington’s vision of human rights defenders uniting to achieve collectively far more than one person. The pro-life advocacy group implements creative new ways to challenge the industry of abortion. Visit www.createdequal.org to learn more.

40 Days for Life
40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a three-point program focusing on prayer and fasting, constant vigil, and community outreach. Visit www.40daysforlife.com to learn more.

Susan B. Anthony List
SBA List is dedicated to pursuing policies and electing candidates who will reduce and ultimately end abortion. To that end, SBA List emphasizes the education, promotion, mobilization, and election of pro-life women. Susan B. Anthony List is a network of more than 465,000 pro-life Americans nationwide. Visit www.sba-list.org to learn more.