PA-Sen: Planned Parenthood Strikes Back at Toomey

planned-parenthood-logoA recent poll conducted by Hart Research Associates shows a majority of Pennsylvanians disagree with Sen. Pat Toomey taking on Planned Parenthood.

Last Monday, Toomey was one of 53 Senators to vote to defund the women’s health organization, a move which prompted backlash from many quarters, including EMILY’s List who put the senator “On Notice” for his “anti-women, anti-family” record. Three days later, EMILY’s List endorsed Katie McGinty to take Toomey’s seat in Washington.

69% of the 504 Pennsylvanians polled said they opposed defunding Planned Parenthood, with 54% strongly opposing the move. Even Republicans – whose presidential candidates and many Senators want to slash funding due to the group’s abortion work – are divided on the issue, with 53% agreeing with their leaders and 46% opposing them.

42% of those polled in PA said they would be much less likely to vote for a senator who tried to defund Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood has been all over the news for the last few weeks, after videos purporting to show officials selling fetal body parts were released. Organization officials have vehemently denied the claims made by the videos and noted that they are heavily edited.

As talk of a government shutdown over the funding of Planned Parenthood gets louder in certain sectors, the poll – also conducted in New Hampshire and Ohio – shows that “shutting down the government over Planned Parenthood would be a political debacle for senators running for re-election,” Hart Research President Geoff Garin said.

This survey was conducted by Hart Research Associates, a Democratic firm. Hart conducted these polls on behalf of Planned Parenthood Action Fund. You can access the poll’s memo here and the top lines here.

36 Responses

  1. THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD WHERE I LIVE DOES NOT DO ABORTIONS, BUT DOES BIRTH CONTRO, VENEREAL DISEASE TESTING, CANCER SCREENING, ETC. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT MAKING BIRTH CONTROLS AVAIABLE ACTUALLY REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF ABORTIONS. ,WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, THEY PROVUDED ME WITH LOW COST BIRTH CONTROL AND ALSO ADVISED ME ON A BIRTH CONTROL PILL I WAS ON THAT CAUSED BLOOD CLOTS AND PULLED FROM THE MARKET IN EUROPE BUT NOT IN AMERICA BECAUSE AMERICA NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO-I SWITCHED IMMEDIATELY-SENATOR TOOMEY IS THE WIRST-IM GLAD I HAD PLANNED PARENTHOOD THERE SO I COULD MARRY AND THEN HAVE CHILDREN AND WAS ABLE TO PROTECT MYSELF AND GET THE SEX EDUCATION I NEEDED-I HOPE THAT YOUNG LADIES WILL HAVE THESE ABILITIES MOVING FORWARD SOE THEYHAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE GOOD CHOUCES

  2. The poll was done on behalf of Planned Parenthood? Of course they got the stats that make themselves look good.

  3. I am so tired of Republicans harping on about wanting government out of our lives…EXCEPT when it comes to a woman’s reproductive organs. It is time for these GYNOTICIANS to be voted out. Planned Parenthood does great work daily with cancer screenings, health care and reproductive counseling. I’d rather our tax dollars help PP than wasteful military spending.

  4. I think they’ll have bigger problems than worrying about elections 12 months from now.

  5. The real question is whether Planned Parenthood can turn out enough voters to get their way in 2016.

  6. Unsanctioned R-

    No. Acorn was defunded due to the fake videos that purported to indicate tax fraud:

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/17/congress-votes-strip-acorn-federal-funding/

    “ACORN, the community organizing group that has come under heavy fire in the wake of damaging undercover videos that purport to show counselors giving advice on tax fraud to a “pimp” and “prostitute.”

    The REAL reason it was defunded was because it was helping register black voters.

  7. Few things – where are the charges? If it’s illegal, bring charges. Second, if fetal tissue donation is the issue, make it illegal. How is eliminating funding for family planning services (ie – abortion preventing healthcare) the result of outrage over abortion? 2.7 million patients are going to go without family planning services and you think LESS abortions are going to occur? Please.

  8. A-N-A-L-O-G-Y

    ACORN’s public funds were stripped because of their indictments. PP’s will follow the same path.

    I’ll…try…typing…slower…next……..time.

  9. Unsanctioned R-

    The acorn fraud you referred to was isolated cases of registration (not voter) fraud. Filling out a registration form for Mickey Mouse did not result in any actual votes generated. These were by temps hired to do voter registration and paid per registration. They defrauded Acorn by claiming to have registered people. Do you understand that these actions by isolated individuals actually worked against Acorn’s interests in registering voters and were not part of the organizations goals/plans?

  10. Repub-

    Thanks for the acknowledgement on the reimbursing and lack of illegality, which has been at the heart of the criticism.

    The PP organization prevents far more abortions than it performs by its counseling and access to contraception.

    They also charge for abortions, and have been accused of making a profit from abortions, so if true, cutting their budget would not stop abortions, but would stop the other services.

    However, here’s info about fees from their site:
    What if I can’t pay or do not have health insurance?
    Planned Parenthood participates in a federal funding program called Title X (10); a program that allows us to supplement birth control, GYN care, and other reproductive health services for women who cannot pay full price for health care services. This program does not pay for abortion care. To qualify, we ask all clients seeking services at Planned Parenthood to present the most recent four week snapshot of your income (such as recent pay stubs or, if you are unemployed, proof of your unemployment benefits or inability to work). This helps our staff determine what amount you can pay under Title X’s discounted fee scale.
    Additionally, Planned Parenthood can help you sign-up for other programs that will help pay for your services including Medicaid or the Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP). Call the health center closest to you and speak to one of our medical staff to see how you can apply.
    – See more at: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-central-western-new-york/patient-resources/paying-your-health-care/about-our-fees#sthash.z0ztTt5o.dpuf

  11. The shallow and superficial media is focusing on the expected left wing attacks on Pat Toomey.Pat Toomey’s real problem is that he has abandoned his base and, in turn, his base has abandoned him. I think Pat Toomey has lost all conservative support in DelCo and, most likely, Montgomery County. “Red” Pennsylvania will, likely, abandon him as they see his banner claim to support conservative principles is show but that he allies himself, “walks with”, a Bipartisan Elite Establishment(Pat Toomey has not overcome his Harvard degree) against “ordinary Americans”). Mitch McConnell is Pat Toomey’s boss, not the voters.

    The real story is how Pat Toomey has “orphaned” his voting base. His support for IBEW 654 Union business manager, with his endorsement that a Big Government, Big Spending Statist “shared our values” demonstrated that he has allied himself with the “Ruling Class”. Paul Mullen’s opponent was a real Democrat who won in Democratic DelCo and real Republican Lisa Esler who had 988 votes.

    Both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders appeal to the “orphaned voter” who has no place in either major party.

    Glenn Reynolds: Trump indicts America’s ruling class http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/08/09/trump-american-ruling-class-tyranny-column/31371813/

    A dead on analysis of the attraction of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders to the “orphaned” voter.

    FTA To this ruling class, the rest of the country is sometimes an annoyance or obstacle, sometimes a source of necessary funds or votes, but always the “other” — not our kind, dear. Too ignorant, too unpolished, too unconnected to the right institutions and pieties to really count. With ruling-class Republicans having more in common with ruling-class Democrats than with the people they rule, it’s unsurprising that, as Codevilla predicted in a later essay, millions of voters feel orphaned.

  12. Some commenters would like readers to stay in the MSNBC fantasy land where things like Chuck Todd’s “research team” could not find “a single study” linking illegal immigration to crime. #Editorsandcommonsenseonvacation

  13. ACORN CONVICTIONS: REAL
    Planned Parenthood Fraud CONVICTIONS: REAL
    ACORN Defunding: REAL
    Planned Parenthood Criminal Enterprise: You Betcha
    Planned Parenthood Defunding: Already Started

  14. David, the idea you can separate money from the 3% of activities people don’t like in any situation is just dumb rationalization. If your giving someone 100 dollars and they require 100 to live and 10 to do illegal drugs, your paying for them to do illegal drugs.

    Also. I just caught up on the full story. I see it is not illegal and they were reimbursing for costs-not selling. Apologies.

  15. The ACORN videos were revealed to be fakes, too, once the whole videos were released. PP unedited videos show how distorted the edited ones were.

    http://www.factcheck.org/2015/07/unspinning-the-planned-parenthood-video/

    The fraud you asked me to Google, has to do with medical insurance fraud that occurred in a few locations, and is not indicative of the organization as a whole.

    Healthcare fraud is quite common, and much of it goes unreported/undetected.

    khn.org/morning-breakout/georgias-second-largest-hospital-to-settle-medicare-fraud-case-for-20-million/

    And

    http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/slideshow/biggest-healthcare-frauds-2015-running-list?p=0

  16. By the way, before the attacks start on me , I m not a pro life’r. I m offended that we support this kind of stuff with taxes and that they lie about it .

  17. Interesting to watch the lefies line up with Planned Parenthood. “Videos heavily edited” shows the bias of this site. The old war on women , they give the parts away they really don’t sell them and they don’t use THAT Govt funding for abortions are pretty lame arguements Right out of the D playbook. Makes those who spew it look like blind faith followers. Right up there with believing the Iran deal is agood thing.

  18. Ha! How many birth control pills have YOU purchased David?

    Tip: go to the grocery store and ask to see a list of their discount formularies. Then come home and Google “planned parenthood fraud” and compare in the state of your choosing the difference in price.

    I don’t need to debate this really, because in time PP WILL lose its funding as part of a criminal enterprise much like ACORN did. What most overlook and the left doesn’t want to talk about is the damning evidence in the videos for altering abortion procedures, which is criminal, and sometimes even performing partial-birth abortions (also of course criminal) so that they can prioritize in-tact fetuses over the health of the mother. These cases will play out state by state in due time. Just watch.

  19. Repub-

    The parts are DONATED to medical research, the same way people donate their organs or whole bodies for medical research. The non-profit fees are for storing and transporting the organs. This is legal and common and not selling body parts for profit, as has been alleged.

    Also, the abortions are not performed using federal/tax dollars, as the other contributions to planned parenthood more than cover that small (<= 3%) of their activities.

  20. David D. And others With all due respect. Your missing the fact that this organizations leadership was selling body parts and breaking the law. Any other organization and field would be revoked from funding and have people arrested. The argument of abortion legality/morality is not for this moment, although easily something we snowball into given the history of the organization. Lets focus on the fact pp conti,hourly gets pinged for inappropriate stuff. Move on to other organizations that provide services of the gov is inclined,but these guys have lost credibility and the gov should give them the boot.

  21. Unsanctioned R-

    1) How many birth control pills have you purchased and swallowed?

    2) There are many different brands.

    3) Prices vary and depend on type of contraceptive protection, which can offer different levels of effectiveness

    http://www.healthline.com/health/birth-control/methods#Prescription2

    4) The price you get at the pharmacy, through your insurance, is probably cheaper than if you are uninsured. Also, you’re supposed to get an exam and prescription. So, if you are uninsured, planned parenthood is a recommended option.

    5) Planned parenthood site:
    plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-pill

    6) Please provide supporting documentation for your assertions about what planned parenthood charges the government.

    several source I googled indicated that most people pay $0–$50 a month which is less than $2 a pill and half of your $4 number.

  22. Anyone who cannot afford $4 birth control or find free rubbers is on Medicaid…which covers birth control. Regardless, PP is the worst at getting the job done.

  23. $4 at the pharmacy.
    Planned Parenthood charges the government many times that for $4 (retail) in pills. They’re frauds. Planned Parenthood is a proven big government failure. Soon their rap sheet will be even longer.

  24. PA Patriot-

    I wish there was a box on my tax return to earmark part of my taxes FOR abortions. Add in a box like that to the 1040 form and then you don’t have to care about your tax dollars going for it, because plenty of people will fund it.

  25. I love how PP keeps repeating that the videos are heavily edited without admitting that the full, uncut videos are posted within hours of the “highlight reel”… I don’t want my tax dollars funding this organization….

  26. David Diano: Any way you want to cut it, $500,000,000 in Tax dollars will take a big bite out of Planned Parenthood! OUR tax dollars should not be going to this “murder factory”!

  27. Unsanctioned R

    Not every plan covers it (some religious employers have exceptions). Not everybody is insured. Also, planned parenthood provides counseling as well.

    obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-birth-control/

  28. PA Patriot

    The government provides half their funds, the rest is from donations/fees. Only 3% of their activities are abortions. The rest is women’s health, screenings, testing, contraception, etc.

    Cutting their govt funds won’t stop abortions, but would increase them due to the resulting increase in unwanted pregnancies. They’ll still be plenty of funding for abortions.

  29. Senator Toomey: We will help you all we can to defund this vile organization! I don’t know who they polled, but it sure wasn’t a “good” sampling! Put this creep organization OUT OF BUSINESS FOR GOOD!

  30. Why does PPA republish press releases, I mean write articles about polls sponsored by biased parties and make them look like they were scientifically conducted?

  31. I am not sure who they polled? Everyone I speak to agrees that PP should not be funded with tax dollars.

Email:
  • Will tonight's U.S. Senate debate affect your decision?


    • No. I've already decided on how to cast my vote. (81%)
    • Yes. Anxious to hear from both candidates (19%)

    Total Voters: 27

    Loading ... Loading ...
Continue to Browser

PoliticsPA

To install tap and choose
Add to Home Screen