Pro-Lifers: White House Pregnancy Assistance Fund Could Fund Pro-Abortion Groups

Pro-Lifers: White House Pregnancy Assistance Fund Could Fund Pro-Abortion Groups
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 12, 2010


Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The new pregnancy assistance fund the White House quietly announced earlier this month has already drawn skepticism from pro-life advocates. Now, other pro-life leaders who are chiming in on its creation say they are worried grant money will go to pro-abortion organizations.

As LifeNews.com reported, the new $25 million program, which was part of the abortion funding health care bill, is supposedly designed to help pregnant and parenting teens and women.

The grant money, which will be provided mostly to state governments,is designed for educational institutions and community organizations that provide programs to help pregnant women such as scholastic assistance, help for child care and housing, and other programs.

Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, told CNS News that an example of a potential grant recipient mentioned in the HHS grant information had the government sending money to pro-abortion groups.

She cited “Text4baby," a program that sounds innocent enough but had the federal government working with the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute and affiliates of Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business.

Monahan is also worried that pregnancy centers, which have provided assistance for pregnant and parenting clients for decades, will find it difficult to obtain funding.

“I think it’s fair to say (pregnancy resource centers) will find it challenging to apply for these grants,” Monahan said

A representative of the Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Public Health told CNS News that no organization is prohibit from receiving grant money under the new Pregnancy Assistance Fund as long as the state government doling out the money determines it qualifies.

“Any organization is eligible to apply, and those that do receive funds must use them in compliance with the program requirements,” the spokesperson said.

Melinda Delahoyde, president of Care Net, also told CNS News she wishes more funds were directed away from abortion businesses.

“While the government annually provides $350 million to Planned Parenthood, the country's largest abortion provider, virtually no federal funds have been allocated for the purpose of helping women who choose to carry to term,” Delahoyde told CNSNews.

“We are encouraged that the government is finally setting aside a small amount of funds in the Pregnancy Assistance Fund to support those women who make the courageous and selfless choice to give life to their babies despite life's challenges," she added. “Our hope is that the White House will be true to its word and use this money to reduce abortion by giving it to those organizations that truly help women choose life."

The Family Research Council is also skeptical of the end recipient of the dollars from the new program, according to a statement LifeNews.com received on Friday.

“FRC has been a leading voice for life-affirming pregnancy services, but we strongly oppose the idea that these grant recipients should include any group that financially profits from abortions," it said.

“The only way to help these mothers and their babies is by funneling the $25 million to organizations that won't make a profit from their work, namely pregnancy resources centers,” FRC added. “And if President Obama truly cared about these women, HHS would have issued real regulations--this time enforcing his Executive Order to strip abortion from the health care bill.”

Joe Young, vice president of ministry for Heartbeat International, another organization with pregnancy center affiliates, also told CNS News that the $25 million for pregnancy support is a "drop in the bucket" compared to the hundreds of millions pro-abortion groups receive.

Young cited a new Government Accountability Office report showing the Planned Parenthood abortion business reported receiving over $650 million in federal funds over a seven year period.

In total, several pro-abortion groups received more than $1 billion from the federal government.

Regarding the pregnancy center funds, it is anticipated that up to 25 grants in the amounts of $500,000 - $2,000,000 per year will be awarded and the application deadline is August 2, 2010.

Potential grant recipients can learn more about the program at http://www.hhs.gov/ophs/oah/prevention/grants/announcements/index.html

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