'Susan G. Komen cuts ties with Planned Parenthood'

February 1, 2012 10:00 AM
Susan G. Komen cuts ties with Planned Parenthood
By CBS News Staff
Updated at 4:57 p.m. ET: Susan G. Komen for the Cure denies decision was politically motivated





(CBS/AP) Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women for years, are no longer partners. The nation's leading breast-cancer charity severed its ties with Planned Parenthood affiliates.

Why? Many suspect the cutoff is linked to the abortion debate. Komen has been under fire by anti-abortion activists, after its connection to the pro-choice organization was publicized.

Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress - a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups. Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun said the charity recently adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities.

The divide is wrenching for some of those who've learned about it and admire both organizations.

"We're kind of reeling," said Patrick Hurd, who is CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia - recipient of a 2010 grant from Komen - and whose wife, Betsi, is a veteran of several Komen fundraising races and is currently battling breast cancer.

"It sounds almost trite, going through this with Betsi, but cancer doesn't care if you're pro-choice, anti-choice, progressive, conservative," Hurd said. "Victims of cancer could care less about people's politics."

Planned Parenthood said the Komen grants totaled roughly $680,000 last year and $580,000 the year before, going to at least 19 of its affiliates for breast-cancer screening and other breast-health services.

"It's hard to understand how an organization with whom we share a mission of saving women's lives could have bowed to this kind of bullying," Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, told The Associated Press. "It's really hurtful."

Anti-abortion groups, in contrast, welcomed the news. The Alliance Defense Fund praised Komen "for seeing the contradiction between its lifesaving work and its relationship with an abortionist that has ended millions of lives."

"While it is regrettable when changes in priorities and policies affect any of our grantees, such as a long-standing partner like Planned Parenthood, we must continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the women we serve and most fully advance our mission," said a statement issued by Komen Tuesday.

Planned Parenthood has over 800 health centers nationwide and is the largest provider of abortions in the U.S. It provides an array of other services as well, including cancer screening - according to Planned Parenthood, its centers performed more than 4 million breast exams over the past five years, including nearly 170,000 as a result of Komen grants.

Komen, founded in 1982, has invested more than $1.9 billion since then in breast-cancer research, health services and advocacy. Its Race for the Cure fundraising events have become a global phenomenon. Still, Komen has been a target of anti-abortion groups since it began its partnerships with Planned Parenthood in 2005. Most recently, in December, Lifeway Christian Resources, the publishing division of the Southern Baptist Convention announced a recall of pink Bibles it had sold because some of the money generated for Komen was being routed to Planned Parenthood, HealthPop reported.

Aun, in a telephone interview, said Komen was not accusing Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing.

"We want to maintain a positive relationship with them," she said. "We're not making any judgment."

Stephanie Kight, a vice president with Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, said her conversations with local Komen leaders indicated there was a shared sense of frustration over the national Komen decision.

"One of the things these organizations share is the trust of women across the United States," Kight said. "That's what we're concerned about - not losing the trust of these women, who turn to both of us at their most difficult moments."

Susan G. Komen for the Cure said in a statement that it's decision had to do with new policies that stemmed from an internal review of its granting process, not politics.

"We are dismayed and extremely disappointed that actions we have taken to strengthen our granting process have been widely mischaracterized," a spokesperson for Susan G. Komen for the Cure told CBS News in an emailed statement. "We regret that these new policies have impacted some longstanding grantees, such as Planned Parenthood, but want to be absolutely clear that our grant-making decisions are not about politics."

Forgiveness Man wrote:I don't see what the big deal is. PP shouldn't be so poor that one donor backing out will hurt them. Like them or hate them, PP's main services are abortion/contraception. They do not screen for breast cancer. Therefore, Komen's got no business giving them money people gave to them for breast cancer research. If people wanna give money to PP, they're free to do so. But this hullaballoo about Komen deciding to not give PP money is laughable. Women are NOT going to be hurt by this. Both Komen AND PP have had donation spikes since this decision. This entire thing is much ado about nothing. (Other than Pro-Choicers being judgmental that Komen decided to not give their money to a single organization because they were under government investigation.) It's truly funny. Even if I thought that PP wasn't Satan's playground, there's still no reason to really be pissed about this.

Planned Parenthood provides nearly 770,000 Pap tests and nearly 750,000 breast exams each year, critical services in detecting cancer.


http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/planned-parenthood-glance-5552.htm

Susan G. Komen Reverses Planned Parenthood Decision, Pledges To Continue Funding



Following a massive public backlash over its decision to pull funding for breast cancer screenings from Planned Parenthood, Susan G. Komen for the Cure founder Nancy Brinker announced on Friday that her group has reversed its decision and will continue to fund the family planning organization. Brinker said in a statement that the decision is a result of "distress" at the "presumption" that Komen, the nation's largest breast cancer charity, pulled its funding from Planned Parenthood for political reasons:

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. The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not. Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. 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. Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. 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. It is our hope and we believe it is time for everyone involved to pause, slow down and reflect on how grants can most effectively and directly be administered without controversies that hurt the cause of women. We urge everyone who has participated in this conversation across the country over the last few days to help us move past this issue. We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics - anyone's politics. Starting this afternoon, we will have calls with our network and key supporters to refocus our attention on our mission and get back to doing our work. We ask for the public's understanding and patience as we gather our Komen affiliates from around the country to determine how to move forward in the best interests of the women and people we serve. We extend our deepest thanks for the outpouring of support we have received from so many in the past few days and we sincerely hope that these changes will be welcomed by those who have expressed their concern.

Planned Parenthood has raised nearly one million dollars in the past several days -- including a $250,000 donation from New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg -- due to an outpouring of public support. All of the money Komen gives Planned Parenthood goes toward breast cancer care, screenings and referrals. This is a developing story...check back for more information...



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/03/susan-g-komen-planned-parenthood_n_1252651.html

Breaking News

Handel resigns from Komen charity »
Political Insider
Karen Handel resigns from Komen for the Cure

10:33 am February 7, 2012, by jgalloway

Karen Handel, the former GOP candidate for governor, just announced her resignation as a senior vice president for public of Susan G. Komen for the Cure – one week after the breast cancer charity reversed itself on a decision to sever financial ties with Planned Parenthood.

Below is the letter. Note that Handel says she is declining the offer of a severance package from Komen — which might have required her to keep silent. She’s got a session with reporters this afternoon in Atlanta.


http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2012/02/07/karen-handel-resigns-from-komen-for-the-cure/

Shale wrote:Sounds like too many women with political sounding names like CEO, Ambassador and Honorable, who dress in business suits and spend all their energies around big wooden conference tables and perhaps haven't been in the trenches squeezing low income women's boobs in a machine and trying to get them to come back for the results or follow-up.

They probably had no clue the Planned Parenthood had name recognition in the 'hood, whereas their own org was unknown. Not until the news said they were cutting PP off. So, they flinched and did damage control but this suit found it unsuitable and split. As someone commented on the news site, "good riddance."