Story Sparks Drive to Defund Planned Parenthood

(CNSNews.com) - The American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative organization in Washington, D.C., has launched an aggressive petition drive to end all federal funding of Planned Parenthood, the leading abortion provider in America, which receives nearly $300 million each year in federal funds.

Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the ACLJ, said part of the inspiration for the petition drive came from recent articles by Cybercast News Service on Planned Parenthood.

"In part, the story about Teenwire.com created a whole new level of interest to step up efforts for the defunding of Planned Parenthood," Sekulow told Cybercast News Service.

The article about Planned Parenthood's controversial "sex education" Web site focused on content on the site that encouraged teens to view pornography as part of its "safer sex" and "outercourse" advice.

Sekulow said a subsequent Cybercast News Service article about an undercover operation that revealed Planned Parenthood personnel accepted racially motivated donations also renewed public interest in the organization.

Planned Parenthood received part of the $283 million distributed in 2007 by the federal government to family planning programs through Title X of the Public Health Service Act.

Sekulow said the petition drive will continue through the spring. At the conclusion of the petition drive, documents will be divided by congressional districts and delivered to each House member whose constituents signed the petition, he said.

"Planned Parenthood has the right to exist, but that doesn't give them a right to federal funds," Sekulow said.

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