12.12.23 – Express Health Management
“Planned Parenthood Received $90 M in Small Business COVID Funds But Has 16,000 Employees”
By Sandeep Runchikor
A new report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has revealed that Planned Parenthood affiliates received $90 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PPP loans were intended to assist small independent businesses with fewer than 500 employees, but pro-life advocates raised concerns about Planned Parenthood’s eligibility due to their large number of employees nationwide.
[Planned Parenthood has more than 16,000 employees -way more than 500 employees.]
The report was requested by lawmakers, including Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who called the findings “appalling.”
She criticized Planned Parenthood’s use of the funds, stating, “While small businesses struggled to make ends meet during the pandemic, Planned Parenthood illegally siphoned over $90 million from the Paycheck Protection Program, specifically designed to help our mom and pop shops keep their doors open.”
In addition to the PPP loans, the report also highlighted other federal funding received by pro-abortion organizations, amounting to nearly $2 billion between 2019 and 2021. This funding included Medicaid, Medicare, and Children’s Health Insurance Program reimbursements, as well as grants and cooperative agreements.
Critics argue that this funding could have been better allocated to support struggling small businesses or provide comprehensive medical support for women and children.
They also point out that Planned Parenthood received $1.78 billion in government funding during this period and performed over one million abortions.
Furthermore, the report noted that in 2019, Planned Parenthood declined [did not want] Title X funding because of the Trump Administration’s Protect Life Rule, which prohibited abortion referrals. This decision led most [Planned Parenthood] affiliates to discontinue using family planning grants under Title X.
This new report raises important questions about the allocation of federal funding and the eligibility of certain organizations for financial assistance programs intended for small businesses.
It also highlights the ongoing political debate surrounding Planned Parenthood and its role in providing reproductive health services.