Planned Parenthood is pushing back after the White House said Monday it would preserve federal funding for the nonprofit organization if it will stop providing abortions.
In a statement, President Trump said that throughout his presidential campaign, he was vocal about being "pro-life," and he is "deeply committed to investing in women's health." Trump said he plans to "significantly increase federal funding in support of non-abortion services such as cancer screenings," and there is an "opportunity for organizations to continue the important work they do in support of women's health while not providing abortion services." Planned Parenthood offers cancer screenings and testing for sexually transmitted diseases at health centers across the United States, and says none of the $500 million it receives annually in federal funding goes toward covering abortions.
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards tweeted that the organization won't "back down in the face of threats or intimidation," and said in a statement Trump's proposal "is the same demand opponents of women's health have been pushing for decades, as part of their longstanding effort to end women's access to safe, legal abortion." She added that Planned Parenthood is "glad that the White House understands that taking away the preventive care Planned Parenthood provides is deeply unpopular and would be a disaster for women's health care."