Komen cancer charity reverses Planned Parenthood cuts

After the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer charity cut off grants for breast screening to Planned Parenthood three days ago, the organization made a sudden reversal.

On Friday morning, the charity announced that it’s restoring its contributions.

     Komen said it stopped the grants because Planned Parenthood is under government investigation, notably a probe launched in Congress at the urging of anti-abortion groups.  The charity now says it will change its criteria so that they won't apply to the kind of investigation now in Congress.

  The decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood sparked a public relations firestorm against the Komen organization, which is best-known for its high-profile fundraising three-day walks held across the country each year.   The Puget Sound branch of the organization said it received hundreds of phone calls and emails regarding the dropped grants.

    Angry donors gave Planned Parenthood extra money to make up for the lack of funding.

Puget Sound Komen said while most of the people contacting the organization were angry about the dropped funding, they have had some calls and emails of support.  The local Komen branch said they have made it a priority to respond to every single call or email and they very much appreciate hearing from people.

According to the Washington Post, abortion services account for just 3 percent of Planned Parenthood’s activities.  Cancer screening and prevention amounts to 16 percent of their work, 35 percent of their services are in contraception, and STD testing accounts for another 35 percent.

Senator Patty Murray, who didn't agree with Komen's original decision to cut funding, made the following statement after learning of the reversal.

"This is a huge win for women in communities across the country who will now be able to get the breast cancer screenings they count on through Planned Parenthood. And this is a major victory for the men and women across America who made their voices heard over the last few days to express their shock and dismay at Komen's initial decision. Politics should never come between women and their health care, and I am very glad that Komen did the right thing and reversed their misguided and deeply damaging decision. "

"Our fight for women's health does not end here. There are still many who will continue to put partisan politics ahead of women's health, and we need to make sure that the grassroots support and energy that successfully came together to right this wrong stands ready to be there for women the next time we're needed."