Is Komen's flip-flop really a victory for Planned Parenthood?
Caving to pressure, the cancer-fighting charity apologizes for defunding Planned Parenthood. But that doesn't mean Planned Parenthood will get its Komen grants
Barely 72 hours after the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, which is devoted to fighting breast cancer, ignited a firestorm by pulling the plug on most of its breast-screening grants to Planned Parenthood, Komen announced Friday that it had reversed course. Komen had maintained that its rules prevented the charity from funding Planned Parenthood while the latter was under investigation by a congressional Republican. But critics suspected that Komen's right-wing donors, upset that the foundation gave money to a national abortion provider, had exerted pressure. Now Komen has apologized to "the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives," and amended its rules so that Planned Parenthood retains its "eligibility to apply for future grants." Is this a "victory" for Planned Parenthood and its supporters?
Planned Parenthood scored a major win: Let's all be glad that the Komen foundation did "the right thing," says Alyssa Rosenberg at ThinkProgress. And thanks to this week's debate, many Americans now know that Planned Parenthood is not, as critics wildly claim, "an abortion factory franchise." Planned Parenthood offers plenty of other women's health services. With any luck, this realization will create "a moment when advocates... work to build a bigger long-term base of donors for Planned Parenthood and all of its health programs."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Hold on. Did Komen really reverse course? We may be jumping the gun, says Ezra Klein at The Washington Post. If you parse Komen's statement, you'll see that the charity isn't necessarily backing down. The promise that Komen will "continue to fund existing grants… and preserve [Planned Parenthood's] eligibility for future grants" appears to leave open the possibility that the foundation still intends to either reject or decrease Planned Parenthood's funding in the future — "albeit on less overtly political grounds."
"Is the Susan G. Komen Foundation backing down?"
Regardless, this is a step in the right direction: Yes, Planned Parenthood will still likely lose money in the future, says Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. But the statement suggests a "more intelligent approach to the issue." Komen will no longer deny funding based on a mere investigation. That's good, because "otherwise, any investigation in Congress for any particular purpose would get used to block legitimate charities from getting grants no matter what the motives behind the probe might be."
"Komen announced that Planned Parenthood eligibility for funding will continue"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will North Korea take advantage of Israel-Hamas conflict?
Today's Big Question Pyongyang's ties with Russia are 'growing and dangerous' amid reports it sent weapons to Gaza
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published