Texas Jumps on the Planned Parenthood Banned Wagon

FRC - Email | Tony Perkins

[Iam1ru1-2]

Texas is going ahead with its secession plan--from Planned Parenthood. Late last year, the state quit its partnership with the abortion tycoons, dropping Planned Parenthood from its lucrative contract under Texas's Women's Health Program. Attorney General Greg Abbott and state legislators were adamant that health providers who offered abortions had no business participating in the program. With $16 million up for grabs, leaders passed an outright ban on Planned Parenthood, ending its eligibility for the state's Medicaid funding. That didn't sit well with the Obama administration, which swooped into Texas and demanded the state reconsider. When it wouldn't, officials with Health and Human Services (HHS) threatened to cut off federal Medicaid funding completely.

But Texas didn't blink. Last Thursday, state Commissioner Tom Suehs signed the rule into law--calling HHS's bluff and putting Planned Parenthood clinics on the road to extinction in the Lone Star State. "Under federal law, states administer Medicaid and have the right to set the criteria for providers in the program. That is what Texas is doing," said spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman. "We have a state law that [Attorney General Abbott] says is constitutional, and it clearly bans abortion providers from taking part in the Women's Health Program. We can't violate a perfectly valid state law just to appease Washington."

Already, the policy is having a domino effect on the state's network of Planned Parenthood offices. So far, 12 clinics have closed and others--like this Odessa branch--waited for Thursday's decision before choosing to shut its doors for good. Could the evidence be any clearer? Despite what Planned Parenthood says about segregated funds and the prohibitions on financing abortions, our tax dollars are what keeps these clinics afloat. Without them, Planned Parenthood withers on the vine. That's why it's so important to reevaluate our priorities as a society and invest in health providers that don't engage in abortion--or fraud, for that matter. Apparently, the same network of clinics that Texas defunded is being sued by a former employee for a massive government billing scam. According to the suit, Planned Parenthood has swindled money out of the federal government for years for services it never provided. Karen Reynolds, the whistleblower, claims this--along with falsifying patient records--was standard practice in all 12 Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast locations across Texas and Louisiana. Who can blame Texas for wanting to be rid of a potentially criminal contractor?

HHS is trying to paint Texas's decision as extremist, but I think it's clear who the real extremists are. After all, the Obama administration would rather deny health care to poor women than hurt its relationship with an organization that could be extorting it!

Drum roll please:

The votes have been counted, and the results for FRC Action's straw poll are in! Over the past nine days, our team conducted an online survey of FRC Action supporters and found a wide consensus for Sen. Rick Santorum as the presidential nominee. Sen. Santorum placed first with 22,409 votes (76%), followed by former Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was a distant second with 2,779 votes (9%), Rep. Ron Paul with 2,089 votes (7%), Gov. Mitt Romney with 1,445 votes (5%), and "other" at 737 votes (2%). Thanks to all of you who participated!

** With key primaries coming up tomorrow, the Values Bus has been busy wheeling through the Midwest. We were welcomed by First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana yesterday, where we helped to identify a few hundred unregistered voters at Pastor Jack Schaap's church. We provided them tools to enable them to be champions in registering others. Today, the team is in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where The Heritage Foundation and FRC Action staff spoke about the issues of the day to Covenant Christian School and also gave a True Blue Award to U.S. House Rep. Bill Huzienga (R-Mich.) for consistently voting for faith, family, and freedom. You can follow the bus as it treks from Michigan to Washington, D.C. by visiting ValuesBus.com or through Twitter @ValuesBus.

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[TexanByBirth]

Cornyn is useless as a Senator IMO. He has amassed a lot of money and has no intention of ever retiring.

Cornyn is toast the next time he comes up for election and I think he knows it. He changed his stripes when he last ran for re-election and unfortunately most Texans bought his deception. Hopefully this time most Texans realize he is nothing but a Washington butt kisser and does not represent Texas at all. No doubt Kay Bailey getting rejected as a Washington insider when she tried to run for Governor let Cornyn know his days are numbered. That is why he has essentially put it on cruise control as a Senator.