Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey are leading a group of more than 100 Republican lawmakers who have called for a thorough examination of federal funding for abortion-related health centers. Lawmakers requested thorough documentation on funding for domestic and foreign providers, including Planned Parenthood, over the last three years in a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Friday.
Important points:
- GAO data shows the Department of Health and Human Services allocated $33.67 billion to Federally Qualified Health Centers and $49 million to Planned Parenthood affiliates from 2019 to 2022.
- The lawmakers request for transparency includes identifying funding distributed to Planned Parenthood, FQHCs, and international providers such as MSI Reproductive Choices.
- The investigation coincides with President-elect Donald Trump s incoming administration s broader agenda, which includes cutting federal funding to progressive organizations and reducing federal agency staff.
In a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Friday, more than 100 Republican lawmakers are demanding a thorough investigation of government monies directed to health centers that provide abortion services.
Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey are leading the probe, which asks GAO to provide a thorough accounting of federal funding to these groups during the previous three years. Lawmakers highlighted GAO’s track record of delivering reports on this subject in their request.
According to the most recent GAO data, between 2019 and 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services spent approximately $49 million on Planned Parenthood affiliates and $33.67 billion on Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune are among those who have signed the letter. The organization wants to know how much money was given to FQHCs, Planned Parenthood, and other domestic and foreign abortion providers like MSI Reproductive Choices.
As Congress analyzes funding levels, we believe that this report will offer more information and promote transparency and openness for our constituents and the public at large,” the congressmen stated.
The call for supervision comes after Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the recently appointed heads of the Department of Government Efficiency under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, wrote a well-known opinion piece. Planned Parenthood was singled out as the main target of the two men’s efforts to cut roughly $300 million in federal financing for progressive organizations.
The pair indicated that as part of their comprehensive plan to reduce government rules and staffing, they want to lay off a large number of federal employees in addition to these financial cuts. Ramaswamy also declared that in order to streamline federal agencies and cut restrictions, federal employees must return to full-time office employment. Ramaswamy is currently working to eradicate government telework by requiring employees to be in the office for the entire week.
(Media Credit for the Featured Image: November Protest Against Abortion). Image: Students for Life at the University of Toronto https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
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