NEW YORK, January 31, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The largest funder of breast cancer research in the nation has ended its controversial ties with Planned Parenthood. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has announced that it is shutting the door on funding the abortion giant after seven years of pressure from pro-life Americans.

Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun explained that “the cutoff results from the charity’s newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities,” according to Fox News. Last year a U.S. House committee announced that it was investigating Planned Parenthood to determine whether the abortion organization handles criminal conduct properly, or has mishandled federal funding to pay for abortions.

Komen has removed a document on their website defending their funding of Planned Parenthood. As well, a new statement on the site dated November 11, 2011 describes their policy not to fund research involving human embryonic stem cells. The statement notes that Komen funds stem cell research only where the stem cells are “derived without creating a human embryo or destroying a human embryo.”

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards expressed shock, describing a phone call she received from Komen about their decision to AP.

“It was incredibly surprising. It wasn’t even a conversation — it was an announcement,” said Richards.



Pro-life leaders have pointed to the relationship between Komen and Planned Parenthood for years, including several U.S. bishops who have encouraged boycotts of Komen. In December, publishers behind a Bible edition intended to benefit Komen pulled the book from shelves in response to a backlash over the Planned Parenthood connection.

Stop Planned Parenthood (STOPP), a project of the American Life League dedicated to shutting down Planned Parenthood, released a report on August 24 of last year detailing the $629,159 in funding various Komen affiliates contributed directly to Planned Parenthood affiliates across the US in 2009-2010, according to the 990 Forms Komen submitted to the IRS for those years.

“The continued, collective efforts of the pro-life movement have paid off,” said Bradley Mattes, Executive Director of the Life Issues Institute. “Our work to educate Komen donors to the reality that the organization has financially supported the nation’s largest chain of abortion mills has caused Komen to halt the financial hemorrhaging. Evidently, Komen had to choose between political ideology and financial viability. They made a good choice.”

Pro-life activist had long highlighted the irony that Komen was funding the United States number one abortion provider, when numerous studies have pointed to a strong link between abortion and increased risk of breast cancer.

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