Defund Planned Parenthood...and AmeriCorps?

In the debate over taxpayer funding of abortion providers and/or referrers, we have been largely focused on the actions taken by pro-life state legislators. On the federal level, H.R.3, or the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, has also received a great deal of the nation’s attention.

Could it be that, in all the coverage of stripping Planned Parenthood of its public funding, we have actually overlooked other federal programs which, at least, marginally support anti-life groups? In this case, Planned Parenthood, once again, plays a role. However, it is AmeriCorps that now takes center stage.

As the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports, two participants of New York’s AmeriCorps affiliate were pulled from their positions at Planned Parenthood of New York City. This action was taken because officials questioned whether or not the AmeriCorps participants had violated the requirements that they not attempt “to influence legislation” and organize or engage “in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes.”

In case it isn’t already clear, AmeriCorps was created in 1993 by the National and Community Service Trust Act signed into law by President Bill Clinton. As AmeriCorps’ website states, “The newly created AmeriCorps incorporated two existing national service programs: the longstanding VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program, created by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).”

In 2008, AmeriCorps received $856,331 in federal funding. AmeriCorps saw its budget increased to $889,866 in 2009. With the addition of $201,000 in stimulus funds, AmeriCorps was the recipient of over $1.09 million of federal funding in 2009 alone. In 2010, their funding was raised to just under $1.5 million.

AmeriCorps participants receive a living allowance, health benefits, and, in some cases, housing. Put differently, taxpayer money is used to provide stipends, health care, and, sometimes, housing for individuals selected to participate in the program.

So, why is this recent event so important, and somewhat striking, for those of us concerned with taxpayer money being used to fund anti-life groups like Planned Parenthood?

The federal officials who forced the ouster of the two AmeriCorps participants made it clear that its participants are not allowed to provide “abortion services or referrals for such services.” Notice that the officials did not say that participants were not allowed to support, in anyway, an organization which provides abortion or abortion referral services.

Even if there are, as the WSJ notes, only 11 additional AmeriCorps participants left working at Planned Parenthood organizations across the country, why were they ever allowed to go there in the first place? How do we know that AmeriCorps is not placing other taxpayer funded participants in other anti-life groups?

While federal officials may believe the recent revelation that two participants could have broken the program’s rules to be a simple matter, pro-life citizens should be outraged that their hard earned money is being used, in yet another way, to aid anti-life groups. 

Pro-life state legislators have been doing an excellent job across the country of cutting funding to Planned Parenthood. While these efforts must continue, it is clear that we can never become complacent. The battle is ongoing—we must demand that our representatives take action to stop AmeriCorps, and other government programs, from placing participants with organizations that provide any type of abortion related services!