Planned Parenthood reports rise in government funding, record number of abortions

A new report from Planned Parenthood shows an increase in government funding during its most recent fiscal cycle and a record number of abortions at its clinics, even as the national abortion rate declines.

The reproductive health nonprofit posted its annual report over the weekend, culminating a year punctuated by legal fights, leadership departures and legislative action, with conservative states aiming to restrict abortion and liberal states seeking to preserve it.

“We stand at an inflection point for reproductive health and rights,” Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Alexis McGill Johnson and Board Chair Aimee Cunningham said in a written statement. “Our opponents moved to dismantle our nation’s program for affordable birth control this year, forcing providers like Planned Parenthood out of the program with an unethical gag rule.”

The last year kept the organization busy, with legal filings to stop pro-life legislation in more than a dozen states and the board-encouraged departure of President Dr. Leana Wen in July.

But the annual report reveals that Planned Parenthood performed 345,672 abortions from October 2017 to October 2018 — more than in any previous year.

And financial records show the nonprofit received more taxpayer dollars in the fiscal year ending last June than ever before ($617 million) through Medicaid and other health service program reimbursements and grants, constituting 37% of its overall revenue.

“The nation’s number one abortion vendor broke all previous records in taking money from taxpayers this year,” *Kristan Hawkins, president for Students for Life of America, said in a written statement.

Ms. Hawkins called on President Trump to cancel all remaining federal funding for Planned Parenthood, saying “$600 million is left to go.”

“The Trump Administration needs to uphold their promise to pro-life Americans and redirect all current taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood to community health care centers that practice only non-violent healthcare,” she said.