An UnPlanned Fact

For all the chest-thumping that Republican politicians like to make about how they want to defund Planned Parenthood because they don't believe any federal money should go to support abortions (never mind that abortions are legal, but I digress...), I think it's important to periodically reiterate a very important fact.  And by "fact," I mean just that in its literal sense.  An undeniable, incontrovertible fact.

Here it is.

The government does not put a single dollar into Planned Parenthood for abortions.  In fact, the government is not allowed legally to put a single dollar into Planned Parenthood for abortions.

It's all part of a law called Title X (as in "ten"), which was signed in 1970 by Richard Nixon.  Title X provides funds for medical and family-planning counseling and various kinds of preventive health services.  But by law, no money at all, not a single nickel, is allowed to go to a program that provides abortion services.

Planned Parenthood has separate divisions.  The one that deals with abortions is only a very small part of the organization.  It gets zero federal funding.  The part of Planned Parenthood that does get federal funding provides health services to women who might otherwise have no access to medical care.

Since this health services for women division is the only part of Planned Parenthood that gets federal money, it's the only thing that would be cut when Republicans say they want to defund the organization.  Abortions wouldn't be impacted At All.  Just heath care to women who might otherwise have none.

And still, the GOP tries to insist that they don't have a War on Women.

Facts.  They're such a pesky thing.