The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) released an extensive report last week that details the amount of federal tax dollars spent during those three years by three abortion providers including Planned Parenthood Federation of American (PPFA), Marie Stopes International (MSI), and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). The report is the result of more than 120 House and Senate members who sent a letter to the GAO requesting data on funding from federal programs received by certain organizations, including Planned Parenthood.

Between 2013-2015, Planned Parenthood and its affiliates spent $288 million in federal funds and another 1.2 billion in funding from Medicaid (which includes a combination of federal and state funds) for a total of $1.5 billion over three years from federal health programs. The largest amount granted was $170 million from Title X programs, followed by $21 million from Title V Maternal Child Health Services block grants and $18 million from Teen Pregnancy Prevention program. The U.S. Agency for International Development also dispersed $14 million and $110 million to IPPF and MSI, respectively.

Within a week of taking office on January 23, 2017, President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, now called the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA), which bans U.S. funding for abortions overseas. The expanded policy prohibits $9 billion in U.S. taxpayer money from funding foreign organizations that perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning. Under President Trump's PLGHA policy, these organizations must now agree not to perform or promote abortion overseas if they wish to keep receiving federal funds. This policy was not in place during the time covered in the GAO's report.

The report is the first to break down funding amounts by Planned Parenthood affiliates, showing that $544 million – more than one-third of total funding – went to those affiliates that have since been referred to the Justice Department in December 2017 for investigation for their role in the harvesting and selling of aborted baby body parts.

The top five Planned Parenthood recipients that have been referred by Congress for criminal investigation are:

• Planned Parenthood Mar Monte – $229 million
   
• Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties – $118 million
   
• Planned Parenthood Los Angeles – $106 million
   
• Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest – $105 million
   
• Planned Parenthood Northern California – $104 million

"This Government Accountability Office report reveals the obscene and despicable amount of money taxpayers are forced to fund Planned Parenthood and its international affiliate organizations," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. "Not one penny of taxpayer dollars should go to fund the killing of innocent children. The mass shootings we have witnessed across the country are gut wrenching and sad. Yet, each day we kill more innocent children in the most brutal way and force American taxpayers to foot the bill. Every decent person should be outraged and demand an end to funding abortion," said Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.