Opinion: States ‘Under Siege’ From Planned Parenthood

The growing fight over government aid for Planned Parenthood has states “under siege,” two top officials with a national antiabortion group write in a Wall Street Journal opinion column.

Charmaine Yoest, CEO of Americans United for Life, and Denise M. Burke, the group’s vice president for legal affairs, cite Planned Parenthood’s court fight against a new Indiana law stripping it of federal money administered by the state and the Obama administration’s threat to withhold Medicaid funds from Indiana as a result.

Several states have enacted or are considering laws to restrict government financing of groups that provide abortion services. The federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services has written to states warning that such moves could put their Medicaid support at risk.

“Clearly, Planned Parenthood and the administration are willing to deny thousands of needy men, women, and children health care in order to protect the bottom lines of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers,” Ms. Yoest and Ms. Burke write.

Read The Chronicle’s coverage of efforts in other states to ban government support of Planned Parenthood.