Komen Foundation Now Says It Will Continue Grants To Planned Parenthood

The Susan G. Komen Foundation just announced it will be providing grants to Planned Parenthood for that organization to use in basic screening and educating women about breast cancer.

"We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities."

In the statement from CEO Nancy Brinker, Komen also says "we want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives."

Controversy erupted Tuesday when there was word that the foundation would no longer be giving Planned Parenthood the grants, which recently totaled more than $600,000 a year. Critics accused Koman of caving to pressure from groups that oppose abortion. Komen at first said it was acting because a member of congress is investigating whether Planned Parenthood has used public money to provide abortions, then said it was acting to make more efficient use of its money.

The Shots blog has been following this story, and has more.

Update at 2:10 p.m. ET. But Will Komen Work With Planned Parenthood In The Future?

A second reading of the Komen statement, as you'll see, draws our attention to Brinker's statement that the foundation is preserving Planned Parenthood's "eligibility to apply for future grants." That's not, obviously, a promise of future funding.

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards has issued a statement saying "we are enormously grateful that the Komen Foundation has clarified its grantmaking criteria, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Komen partners, leaders and volunteers."

So Planned Parenthood is making the case that the organizations are back together again. But, so far, NPR's efforts to get Komen spokesmen to clarify Brinker's statement have been unsuccessful.