ACLJ: House Vote Cutting Planned Parenthood Funds 'Long Overdue' - Nearly 55,000 Americans Urged House to Defund

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, today called the House vote approving the Pence Amendment stripping Planned Parenthood of all federal funding long overdue and sends a message: Americans don't want their tax dollars used to support the nation's largest abortion provider.  In less than a week, the ACLJ has heard from nearly 55,000 people who urged the House to defund Planned Parenthood by signing on to a petition demanding action.

"There's no better place to begin the budget cutting process than putting a stop to funding Planned Parenthood," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ.  "It's stunning that Planned Parenthood receives more than $360 million dollars a year in federal taxpayer funds. According to its own filings, Planned Parenthood reported more than 330,000 abortions in 2009 alone, a number that continues to climb.  By receiving this windfall of federal funds, Planned Parenthood is able to free-up other resources enabling them to continue to promote and expand their pro-abortion agenda.  The approval of the Pence Amendment in the House is long overdue and sends a strong message - American taxpayers are no longer willing to subsidize the nation's largest abortion provider."

The ACLJ continues to work legislatively and legally to protect human life.  The ACLJ is in federal court in California pursuing a massive fraud case against Planned Parenthood affiliates in that state.  The ACLJ is representing a former Planned Parenthood executive who alleges the organization overbilled the federal and state government by millions of dollars.

Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the ACLJ is based in Washington, D.C. and is online here.

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SOURCE American Center for Law and Justice