Susan G Komen, Planned Parenthood, Texas Politics, and Global Consequences

What begins in Texas sometimes has global consequences. Both good and bad.

Did you know that Susan G. Kormen Race for the Cure began right here in Dallas, Texas. Every woman in the “metroplex” knows the story…

From Wikipedia:

Susan Goodman, later Susan Goodman Komen, was born in 1943 in Peoria, Illinois. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33. She died of the disease at age 36 in 1980.  Komen’s younger sister, Nancy Goodman Brinker, who believed that Susan’s outcome might have been better if patients knew more about cancer and its treatment, promised her sister that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer. To fulfill that promise, Brinker founded the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in Komen’s memory in 1982.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, often referred to as simply Komen, is the most widely known, largest and best-funded breast cancer organization in the US.

Since its inception in 1982, Komen has invested nearly $2 billion for breast cancer research, education, advocacy, health services and social support programs in the U.S., and through partnerships in more than 50 countries.  Today, Komen has more than 100,000 volunteers working in a network of 124 affiliates worldwide.

Today there has been a sudden change in Komen’s funding philosophy. I am convinced this is in large part to Texas’s strong swing to the right. :

From CREDO Action:

It was just announced that Susan G. Komen for a Cure, a much loved leader in the fight against breast cancer, will no longer fund a program that provides free or low-cost breast cancer screenings for millions of women who get their health care from Planned Parenthood. This is a huge blow.

In abruptly pulling nearly $1,000,000 in funding for breast cancer screenings, the Susan G. Koman foundation cited a sham “investigation” into Planned Parenthood launched by Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns, one of the most militant anti-choice members of Congress.

 We have to stand up and fiercely defend Planned Parenthood — and show Susan G. Komen and others who are considering caving to the radical right that we will not let extremists defund health care providers for women who include reproductive health services.

You may recall the so-called investigation was launched by Rep. Stearns last fall after Congress failed to pass bill after bill to defund reproductive health services to women. Stearns’ investigation, which was challenged by over 100,000 CREDO Action members, was nothing more than a blatant attempt to tie up Planned Parenthood’s staff and resources in a politically motivated investigation. And now its being used by anti-woman activists to go after Planned Parenthood’s non-governmental funding.

It’s clear that Planned Parenthood and its affiliates have not broken the law and didn’t deserve the investigation launched against them. The Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General along with state Medicaid programs already audit Planned Parenthood. These audits have not revealed any pattern of behavior that would warrant Congressional investigation.

This seems especially sad since only 3% of funding ever goes to abortion procedures. A change in policy will clearly effect America’s poorest families who depend on Planned Parenthood.

I am fearful that what happens here in Texas may effect funding and services in Planned Parenthood International. If you are worried like me, click here to sign a petition for the board of the Susan G. Komen for a Cure to maintain funding for Planned Parenthood.