Komen Breast Cancer Foundation cuts grants, ties to Planned Parenthood

Feb 2 2012

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, a leading breast-cancer charity, will no longer give money to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer exams or education, it announced Tuesday. The rift comes from the political fight surrounding Planned Parenthood's abortion services.

Los Angeles Times: Komen Breast Cancer Charity Severs Ties With Planned Parenthood
In what looks to be a break between two organizations dedicated to women's health, a national breast cancer awareness group said it would stop providing funds to Planned Parenthood centers for breast cancer examinations and other breast health services (Roan, 2/1).

The Associated Press: Cancer Charity Halts Grants To Planned Parenthood
The nation's leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates -; creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women. The change will mean a cutoff of hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, mainly for breast exams (Crary, 1/31).

The Hill: Top Cancer Foundation Decides To Cut Ties With Planned Parenthood
A prominent cancer-treatment foundation is ending its work with Planned Parenthood, a decision Planned Parenthood called "deeply disturbing and disappointing." The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has broken off a partnership through which it provided cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood clinics, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. Planned Parenthood blamed the political controversy over abortion rights. "We are alarmed and saddened that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure. Our greatest desire is for Komen to reconsider this policy and recommit to the partnership on which so many women count," said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (Baker, 1/31).

CNN: Susan G. Komen Drops Funding For Planned Parenthood
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation revealed Tuesday it was cutting funds to Planned Parenthood, sparking an outcry from abortion rights advocates blaming "political pressure" and praise from an anti-abortion group. The major breast cancer research group cut funds to the prominent family planning organization after Planned Parenthood has come under increasing scrutiny from Congress over how it provides abortion services. The Komen Foundation gave few details on the reasons behind the decision, attributing the announcement to "changes in priorities and policies" and the need to "most fully advance [its] mission" (1/31).

Texas Tribune: Komen Drops Support Of Planned Parenthood
The Dallas-based breast cancer prevention group Susan G. Komen for the Cure has halted its financial support of Planned Parenthood, yet another blow to the family planning organization that provides abortions in some of its clinics. Planned Parenthood alleges that Komen -; which was founded in 1982 by Nancy Goodman Brinker, a former U.S. ambassador to Hungary under George W. Bush, to honor her deceased sister -; succumbed to rising political pressure (Ramshaw, 1/31).

Denver Post: Denver-Area Planned Parenthood Hoping For Other Donations
Since 1995, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has relied on grant funding from Komen for breast health care, said PPRM spokeswoman Monica McCafferty. For the 2011-12 grant cycle, PPRM received $40,000 from Aspen Komen and $125,000 from Denver Komen. The money allowed PPRM to provide care to an average of 1,000 women statewide and educate another 2,000 women on breast health care (Cardona, 2/1).