CNSNews.com has spent a decade perpetuating the lie that federal funding to Planned Parenthood pays for abortions. The Trump administration’s decision to cut off Title X funding to facilities that perform abortions gave CNS a new opportunity to publish that misinformation once again.
In her article on the decision, CNS’ Melanie Arter lies by juxtaposition: “In its latest annual report, Planned Parenthood said that it did 321,384 abortions in fiscal 2016 and that in the year that ended on June 30, 2017 it received $543,700,000 in “government health services reimbursements and grants.” In fact, since federal funding is already prohibited from paying for abortion, there is no connection whatsoever between those two numbers, despite what Arter implies.
Arter also gives a pass to false statements she quotes from anti-abortion groups applauding the decision:
- “Americans should not be forced to have their tax dollars fund abortion” — Knights of Columbus.
- “Americans don’t want their hard-earned tax dollars paying for abortions, a fact polling consistently confirms” — Ashley McGuire of the Catholic Association.
- “Americans are well aware that the $50-60 million pouring into Planned Parenthood annually through Title X grants are subsidizing its main business, abortion” — Grazie Pozo Christie of the Catholic Association.
- “Planned Parenthood’s smoke and mirror accounting has been allowed to divert the 50-60 million dollars it receives yearly in taxpayer funds away from authentic healthcare for low income women for far too long” — Andrea Picotti-Bayer, legal adviser for the Catholic Association Foundation.
But why would Arter correct them when, as we’ve seen, she has no interest reporting factually when the facts conflict with her employer’s right-wing agenda?