February 3rd, 2012
11:29 AM ET

Komen reverses decision to stop Planned Parenthood funding

The Susan G. Komen foundation has reversed a controversial decision not to renew funding for Planned Parenthood projects for breast cancer screenings, the group said in a statement Friday.

"We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives," the group said.

"We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities," the group  said.

The announcement comes three days after Komen, a group supporting breast cancer research, said it would stop the funding, saying that it decided it would no longer fund groups under federal investigation. Congress in September began investigating whether Planned Parenthood, a prominent family planning organization, illegally used federal funds to provide abortions.

But on Friday, Komen said that it would "amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political."

"Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer.  Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process," the group said.

Some Planned Parenthood supporters had alleged the decision to withhold funding also had to do with abortion. Anti-abortion advocates around the country had questioned the Komen foundation about its grants for months, prompting the foundation to release a statement last year saying that "Komen funding is used exclusively to provide breast cancer programs."

In Washington, at least 22 Senate Democrats signed a letter calling on Komen to reconsider its decision.

CREDO, which describes itself as the largest corporate donor to Planned Parenthood, said Thursday that 250,000 of its members had signed a petition urging the Komen foundation to reverse its decision.

"The move is clearly connected to attempts by Republicans in Congress to defund Planned Parenthood," the organization said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood said funding from the Komen foundation has largely paid for breast exams at local centers. In the last five years, grants from the group have directly supported 170,000 screenings, making up about 4% of the total exams performed at Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide, according to the group.

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Filed under: Abortion • Health • Health Care • Politics
soundoff (292 Responses)
  1. whymommy

    Why mommy ?
    What did I ever do to you ?

    February 3, 2012 at 8:07 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Just ME

    If you don't want to have an abortion then don't. Your decision and not mine so you do me the same priviledge. OK? Removing a few cells or piece of tissue from a woman only means that an unwanted child will not be made. Family Planning is the way to go. Use birth control and if it fails head to the nearest clinic. Thank God women no longer have to use the old coat hanger but can relieve her problem in a clean clinic. Thanks Komen for your help to women.

    February 3, 2012 at 11:10 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Just ME

    Varmit and what do you say to the child that is born and then dies from abuse and neglect. Better that it not be born. Right?

    February 3, 2012 at 11:12 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Mary

    Btw Banasy, Your WRONG !!! PPH has and does kill innocent lives. It is well know that you can abort a baby at PPH, now your NOT making sense.

    February 4, 2012 at 12:17 am | Report abuse |
  5. Jeff Frank ( R - OHIO ) "Яight Wing Иutcase"

    I bought my kids from K-Mart, during blue light specials, Neither one, and you ask them, reget this. 🙂

    February 4, 2012 at 1:34 am | Report abuse |
  6. leeintulsa

    have any naysayers ever stepped foot in pp? or just regurgitating what they've been fed, like a bird?

    February 4, 2012 at 9:41 am | Report abuse |
  7. OregonTom

    Planned Parenthood helped my girlfriend and I make responsible choices while we were in high school. Nobody got pregnant 🙂

    February 4, 2012 at 12:45 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Bill

    Any single ladies in here?

    February 4, 2012 at 12:57 pm | Report abuse |
  9. CitizenSane

    Do the pro-life people have any right whatsoever to have their concerns heard over how pp is funded? You cannot be an American and answer "No" to that question. Don't ever allow anyone's voice or opinion to be stifled or stymied. This is NOT what is intended with our 1st Amendment.

    February 4, 2012 at 9:50 pm | Report abuse |
  10. reel American

    MSNBC you are right Rubio would be a great choice for Vice President and even though he may speak spanish he supports the Arizona Immigration laws that allow Law Enforcement to pull over Latino's and demand to see there papers since Obama hasn't done any thing to deal with these Illegals by the way Mormons believe in Jesus and believe he spent time teaching in the New World

    February 4, 2012 at 10:17 pm | Report abuse |
  11. kbee8

    It doesn't matter what a developing human is called; a fetus, baby, mass of cells, or a clump of tissue – it is still human life, with a beating heart 22 days after conception.

    February 5, 2012 at 12:45 am | Report abuse |
    • Siara Delyn

      I don't agree with you spiritually and will do everything I can to stop you from thrusting your (to me bizarre and barbaric) views down my throat.

      February 5, 2012 at 6:03 pm | Report abuse |
  12. AJ

    Komen got what is called a smack down. My body, my choice.

    February 5, 2012 at 3:19 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Siara Delyn

    Komen– a charity that wants to heal cancer in women who agree with the Christian right. Nope. Don't need to donate any more to them. From now on I donate straight to PP

    February 5, 2012 at 6:00 pm | Report abuse |
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