US government study finds $1 billion in federal support for abortion advocates
June 17, 2010
American taxpayers have provided about $1 billion in funding for organizations that promote legal abortion in the US and abroad, according to official statistics furnished by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Planned Parenthood, the leading abortion provider in the US, received the greatest share of federal support. The GAO found that $657 million in federal funding had gone to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in the years 2002- 2009, and another $94 million to the International Planned Parenthood Federation. The Population Council drew $284 million over the same period. The GAO report acknowledged that because of complicated funding arrangements, “this report report may understate the actual amount of federal funds the selected organizations and their affiliates spent.”
Congressman Pete Olson of Texas, who ordered the study by the non-partisan GAO, chaired a June 16 press conference to discuss the report. “A majority of Americans oppose taxpayer funding for groups that promote or perform abortions,” Olson said. “That this tax money is spent by organizations that offend the majority of Americans only further justifies the need for this alarming report.”
Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey added the observation that the study does not take into account a sharp increase in funding for abortion advocacy in recent months. “Since Obama’s election, US subsidies to the abortion industry at home and abroad have significantly increased,” he said.
Federal law bars the use of taxpayer funds to pay for abortions or to promote the legalization of abortion in other countries. However the organizations listed in the GAO report receive federal funding for general operational expenses, allowing them to free up other funds for abortion advocacy.
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Further information:
- Olson: GAO reports close to $1 billion in taxpayer dollars spent by abortion advocates (Congressman Olson)
- New Report: U.S. Taxpayers a $1 Billion+ Gold Mine for Abortion Industry (LifeSite News)
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