Family Council Concerned About Planned Parenthood Funding Under Medicaid Expansion
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 13, 2013
On Thursday, Family Council President Jerry Cox expressed concerns over the possibility tax dollars might go to Planned Parenthood under Arkansas’ new expansion of Medicaid.
According to recent news reports, at least twenty-eight organizations—including Planned Parenthood—have applied for public dollars to hire a total of more than 600 new employees. These new employees will help Arkansans enroll in programs under the Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama. So far, twenty-seven nonprofits and other entities have been approved by the state to hire new employees, but Jerry Cox says he hopes Arkansas’ legislators will not make any abortion provider the twenty-eighth.
Cox said he believes giving public funds to abortion-providers like Planned Parenthood constitutes an indirect subsidization of abortions. “Abortion advocates like to argue this money won’t actually pay for any abortions, but every dollar groups like Planned Parenthood get from the state just makes it that much easier for them to continue doing abortions. It’s one less dollar they have to come up with some other way, and that helps them stay in business. Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion provider, and Arkansans have said time and time again they do not want their tax dollars supporting abortion.”
Cox said there are already more than enough eligible organizations available for state-funding. “More than two dozen organizations have volunteered and been approved to receive this money and act on behalf of the state. The only controversial applicant I know of is Planned Parenthood. The state has more than enough organizations stepping up to the plate for this healthcare program. There’s no reason to bring abortion providers into the discussion—especially against the objections of so many taxpayers.”
Cox said he hopes the State of Arkansas will approve non-controversial groups for the new program. “We live in a great state with a lot of great people and some very upstanding organizations that do a lot of good for a lot of Arkansans. There really should not be any shortage of folks available to help the state.”
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