House Dem abandons Susan G. Komen after Planned Parenthood decision

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) on Wednesday morning said she would no longer support the Susan G. Komen Foundation because of that organization’s decision to no longer provide funding to Planned Parenthood.

“I have been a big booster of the Susan G. Komen organization,” Speier said on the House floor. “But not anymore.”

On Monday, Speier tweeted “Komen’s decision hurts women – it puts politics before women’s health. @komenforthecure should be ashamed.”

{mosads}The Komen organization, a major cancer research foundation that raises money through its Race for the Cure and other activities, said Tuesday that it would no longer provide funds to organizations under federal investigation. The decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood appears to be related to House Republican inquiries into whether Planned Parenthood was using federal funds for abortion procedures.

Planned Parenthood responded by saying the decision is more a reflection of political pressure on Komen to stop supporting Planned Parenthood. Speier agreed today, noting that House Republicans have yet to even hold a hearing on how Planned Parenthood used federal money.

“I guess it means that Susan G. Komen has become a 501(c)(4), because no longer do they want to be providing nonprofits, they want to become a political advocacy group,” she said on the floor. “Last time I checked, we were all presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

She said Komen’s decision means Planned Parenthood will not get as much as $600,000 a year, which has helped provide for about 170,000 breast cancer screenings for women over the last five years.

Speier closed her remarks by asking women to call the Komen Foundation and tell it to stick to its work fighting cancer.

“I ask you to call them, at 1-877-465-6636, and tell them that you want them to stick to what they know,” she said. “Let’s not make this a race to the political bottom.”