Community Corner

(UPDATED 11:34 a.m.) Poll: Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood Funding

Planned Parenthood accused the foundation of succumbing to "political pressure."

UPDATED 11:34 a.m.

The Komen foundation on Friday reversed its decision to cut grants to Planned Parenthood, The Dallas Morning News has reported.

“Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation,” said CEO Nancy Brinker in a statement. “We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.”

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The Susan G. Komen Foundation has pulled funding from Planned Parenthood, sparking speculation whether the move was politically motivated.

Find out what's happening in Eldersburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Planned Parenthood officials have said Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation’s decision to pull funding was a result of “political pressure,” saying “anti-choice groups” have pressured the foundation and it "ultimately succumbed to these pressures.”

The new funding decision comes less than a year after the breast cancer charity hired Karen Handel as its new vice president. She has spoken out against abortion and Planned Parenthood, according to the Huffington Post.

In a YouTube statement, Komen Founder and CEO Nancy Brinker said grant changes were a result of a new strategy that included more stringent eligibility and performance criteria.

“Current grants are not affected,” Brinker said. “As we move forward, we will implement these new strategies, which will allow us to serve even more women. We will never bow to political pressure. We will always stand firm in our goal to end breast cancer forever.”

Komen’s new standards mean the organization will stop funding groups under federal investigation, which includes Planned Parenthood, NBC Southern California reported.

A House subcommittee is investigating whether the organization uses federal money to pay for abortion services, NBC reported.

Komen donations have been used by Planned Parenthood over the past five years to provide nearly 170,000 breast exams to low-income women, the Huffington Post reported.

Weigh in below or in our poll: What do you think of the Susan B. Komen Foundation’s decision?


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