This week a federal appeals court turned down an appeal by Planned Parenthood of a decision that allows Texas to cut off funding to the organization. According to a Reuters report, Texas Governor Rick Perry has said the state will immediately cease funding organizations in the Texas Women’s Health Program that also provide abortion services. Perry released a statement on decision, blasting Planned Parenthood.
“If there was ever any doubt that Planned Parenthood is more concerned about its own interests than those of Texas women, there is no longer,” said Perry. “Having lost on its constitutional claims, Planned Parenthood has now turned to Travis County judges in a desperate effort to find some way to keep making money off Texas taxpayers. In Texas, we’ve chosen to protect innocent life. We will keep fighting for life, and we will ultimately prevail.”
Back in August a federal appeals court lifted an injunction on a Texas law that prohibits the state from funding organizations “linked to” abortion providers. Planned Parenthood appealed that decision, asking the court to reconsider its constitutionality. Today’s decision reaffirms the court’s original decision.
“This case has never been about Planned Parenthood – it’s about the Texas women who turn to us every day,” said Kenneth Lambrecht, president of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas. “Politics should never come between a woman and her health care. Further consideration by the full court was needed to protect nearly 48,000 low-income Texas women’s access to preventive health care such as life-saving breast and cervical cancer screenings, birth control and STD screenings.”
Lambrecht stated that Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas is “not going anywhere.” The organization is the largest care provider in the Texas Women’s Health Program, which provides healthcare to low-income women throughout Texas, but does not provide abortion services. Planned Parenthood has stated that none of the money it receives from the state of Texas goes to fund abortions.
Around 90% of the Texas Women’s Health Program is funded by the federal government, which has threatened to cut future funding for the program if Texas enforces the law cutting off Planned Parenthood’s funding. Governor Perry stated in August that the state of Texas is prepared to fund the Women’s Health Program itself.