Federal money should not contribute to Planned Parenthood because of the controversy surrounding the organization, and because not everyone supports the beliefs of it.

Planned Parenthood funds many Democratic candidates, so taxpayers’ dollars indirectly fund a political party they may not align with, according to the Center for Responsive Politics research group in 2013. This study showed Planned Parenthood donated half a million dollars to only Democratic politicians.

Currently, the United States has 13,540 comprehensive health care centers designated for women in need, compared to only 665 Planned Parenthood clinics. By defunding Planned Parenthood, this money could go toward funding health clinics, which provide a wider range of services that do not include abortions, such as mammograms and sexual health education.

According to Planned Parenthood’s corporate reports, the number of breast exams, a main form of detection of breast cancer, went down from approximately 2 million in 2011 to 936,000 in 2013, while the number of abortions grew more than 50 percent, to account for 37 percent of their revenue.

Additionally, Cecile Richards said the organization has never provided mammograms, the x-ray form of a breast cancer screening, as it does not have the equipment to do so. This contrasts with previous claims by the organization stating it did perform this service. 

Although Planned Parenthood has great features, like helping those in need with birth control, STI testing and pregnancy tests, it remains the nation’s largest provider of abortions, according to the Heidi Group, a pro-life organization.

According to Steven Calvin, a perinatologist who teaches obstetrics at the University of Minnesota, a fetus can feel pain because of the presence of neural pathways. 

American tax dollars should not fund an organization that murders helpless babies that can feel pain, can recognize voices and sounds and have a complex neurological system. 

Congress should defund Planned Parenthood because the actions of this organization are controversial and Americans’ tax dollars should not support an organization that ends lives of helpless children.

Taking away the funding of Planned Parenthood doesn’t eradicate the needs of low-income women; it gets rid of an opportunity for a stable health care support system. 

Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization that provides advice and resources for family planning, contraception options and any reproductive problems women might have, especially for those who cannot afford health care.

Conservatives in Congress are trying to defund the non-profit group because of controversial videos. The head of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards, was ridiculed for five hours Sept. 29 on Capitol Hill. 

Evidence suggests these videos were filmed without the knowledge of this organization and are believed to have undergone extensive editing to create a negative image. No concrete evidence Planned Parenthood sells fetal body parts for profit, but it does use fetal tissue for scientific research, according to a recent LA Times article.

Abortions have been legal since the 1973  Roe vs. Wade case. Planned Parenthood serves as a safe place to perform this medical procedure for women. 

Additionally, Planned Parenthood offers contraceptives, cancer screenings, breast exams, morning-after pill, abortions, STD testing and more. 

Abortions only account for 3 percent of all the services Planned Parenthood provides. In reality, that percent holds no significance in the big picture of the organization.

This non-profit organization actively engages in education and advocacy to protect and advance women’s health and sexual rights. 

Planned Parenthood receives funding in two ways: Medicaid, and Title X, both of which provide support to low-income families. 

Planned Parenthood helps millions of low-income women receive service they would otherwise be unable to afford and continues to serve to anyone who seeks help, including all genders.  

All women deserve free access to health care services and that should not be taken away from them in any regard. Defunding Planned Parenthood takes away an opportunity for a group of women who would otherwise have few opportunities to receive free health care. #IStandWithPP, and so should you.