“It’s not right for pro-life Americans to pay … $500 million a year for the killing of babies,” Patricia Hansen, co-organizer of the El Cajon anti-Planned Parenthood demonstration, told NBC 7 Saturday.
Hansen and other pro-life activists in San Diego gathered in solidarity with 133 other demonstrations organized by #ProtestPP in 36 states to protest tax dollars going to the health care centers.
“Right now that is the issue what we’re protesting today is our tax dollars going to abortion, and we’re out here praying for the defunding of Planned Parenthood, but this evil organization that hurts women actually – and abortion is not health care we have to stress – abortion is not women’s health care,” Hansen says.
#ProtestPP wants funding that would go to Planned Parenthood to instead be given to health centers that do not perform abortions.
Planned Parenthood defunding was included in the American Health Care Act bill that was withdrawn before a vote in the House of Representatives in March due to dwindling support.
“You can have choice, but we taxpayers don’t have to pay for your choice to kill a baby. That’s just common sense,” says Hansen.
Along with the El Cajon demonstration, protesters also gathered in Escondido.
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Pro-choice advocates are concerned about losing women's health services.
Earlier this month, president Trump signed legislation that gives states the option to deny funding for Planned Parenthood.
Although around $500 million a year in federal tax dollars does go to Planned Parenthood, they say that in 2014 only about three percent of its services were abortion-related.
Title X, a federal family planning program does not allow federal funds to go to abortions, but Medicaid, a mix of federal and state funding, does in very restricted cases.
Under the Hyde Amendment federal Medicaid funds can be used for abortions only in the case of rape, incest or the life of the mother.
