John Bazemore/AP Photo
Karen Handel (file)
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation defended its decision to cut funding for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood. They said it had nothing to do with the fact that PP also provides abortions.
Today, breast cancer organization released the following statement:
We are dismayed and extremely disappointed that actions we have taken to strengthen our granting process have been widely mischaracterized. It is necessary to set the record straight.
Starting in 2010, Komen began an initiative to help us do a better job of measuring the impact of community grants. This is important because we invest significant dollars in our local community programs — $93 million in 2011, which provided for 700,000 breast health screenings and diagnostic procedures.
Following this review, we made the decision to implement stronger performance criteria for our grantees to minimize duplication and free up dollars for direct services to help vulnerable women. To support this new granting strategy, Komen has also implemented more stringent eligibility standards to safeguard donor dollars. Consequently, some organizations are no longer eligible to receive Komen grants.
Some might argue that our standards are too exacting, but over the past three decades people have given us more than just their money. They have given us their trust and we take that responsibility very seriously.
We regret that these new policies have impacted some longstanding grantees, such as Planned Parenthood, but want to be absolutely clear that our grant-making decisions are not about politics. Throughout our 30 year history, our priority has always been and will continue to be the women we serve. As we move forward, we are working to ensure that there is no interruption or gaps in services for the women who need our support most in the fight against breast cancer.
On the record, they're saying it's not a politics thing. But a deeper look into the foundation's leadership suggests otherwise.
Karen Handel, senior vice president of the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, has close links to the conservative, anti-abortion movement. She ran for governor of Georgia in 2010, vowing to end funding for Planned Parenthood and earned endorsements from Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin.
Komen founder and CEO Nancy Goodman Brinker has donated thousands of dollars to the Republican Party since 1990. She also served as an ambassador under George W. Bush's Administration.
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This is such an obvious political ploy to enact an agenda that has been foisted on what used to be a sterling foundation. Their move into policy not relating to breast cancer is a sad day for the 501 (c) (3) community.
This is a fall from grace in my opinion. The board needs to carefully reconsider its policy...I believe that there is a concept of a presumption of innocence that is a founding doctrine in our society. The anti-abortion under currents in this action are blatant and will eventually lead to the demise of some women that could have been saved.
Where are the critical thinkers on the board of directors? Lemmings, if you ask me!
@!$%# 'EM!
agreed... it would be great if a populist movement started sending all their Komen donations to Planned Parenthood.
This is EXACTLY what I plan to do. I didn't know I could contribute directly to planned parenthood, otherwise the Komen foundation would have never seen a dime of my money. I know they won't be seeing any of it from now on, but I'm sure they can survive on the GOP's wealthiest members.
andrea mitchell today, on her show, had a fantastic interview with nancy brinker, the founder of Komen.
google Andrea Mitchell Reports/Brinker.
Suck it Susan! Run your own race from now on!
I will never donate another cent to SGK. I will donate my money to Planned Parenthood, who DOES care about women's health (and men's too!).
I have already sent an e-mail to the national and my local branch of the Komen Foundation, effectively telling them that they will no longer have my support. I believe that the Salon piece said it best--they want to divide women's health into "deserving" and "undeserving" (good girl vs bad girl); I told them that wasn't their call, and that ALL women deserve comprehensive health services. There are MANY other ways to spend your dollar to support breast cancer research and those with breast cancer, and I will be choosing them exclusively until Komen changes its policy.
Cancervative Republicans are out to destroy America, and cancervative Republicans like Mitt Romney, and those running Komen, really just don't give a damn about the poor, since the poor, like those who go to Planned Parenthood for their health needs, aren't big donors to the cancervative Republican Party.
Or should that be Republicancervative, one word?
Hmm, I think I'll tweet this from now on in describing Republican Cancervatives. For some reason, Republican and Cancer go together, just like cancer and conservative fit together, destroying, mestacizing, killing.
And Lawrence, excellent discussion with David Cay Johnston. I looked for the link here to his Reuters article, but I'll google it instead.
Oracle...think about what you said Cancervative Republicans out to destroy America...give me a break...you are an idiot
What a sad sad day. Susan G will never see another dime from me. Ever.
I too, will never donate another dime to the foundation. It is unbelievable that it has allowed politics to force them to deviate from the purpose of the foundation. Shame on them!!! Twitter and Facebook.... look out we will boycott the foundation!!!!!!
This really horrible. The foundation has collected all of our money..... not they are shifting the purposes of the the money. They have been bought off by the politicians. Standby for a major boycott on Twitter and Facebook. Your foundation is over!!!!
In 2007 I discovered that I had breast cancer. I was 35 years old, too young for screenings and didn't have health insurance when I felt my lump. With no history of breast cancer in my family, somehow I knew it was cancer. With no place to turn and no money, Planned Parenthood gave me an appointment and helped me find the path to eventually getting full treatment.
While I've never had the money to make an outright donation to the Komen foundation, given a choice between a product that makes a donation to them and one that doesn't I always chose the former even when it cost a little more. That will no longer be the case.
Planned Parenthood, I literally owe you my life and can never thank you enough.
What is often overlooked is that Planned Parenthood also provides preventative care to men who otherwise might not be able to afford it. And they get breast cancer too.
They are lying to us. Earlier they said it was because PP was under investigation and it was their policy (just adopted) not to contribute to orgs under investigation. They need to get their stories straight. They also said they do not delete posts unless there is profanity. That's a lie. All my posts (no profanity) were deleted. They lie and are not to be trusted with the money sent to them.
Can Komen Foundation donate money to someone OTHER than the baby killers- planned parenthood.
Everybody please send this organization a letter and ask them to please fund somebody else so we still can have access to breat cancer help.
won't be contributing to them anymore - not one cent! they might as well rename themselves the repub/tbagger foundation!
I'm disgusted that the Komen foundation has sunk so low as to turn women's health into a political football. I used to donate to them annually, but not only will I no longer donate so much as a dime to Komen, but this morning I donated 2X my former SGK amount to Planned Parenthood. Furthermore, from here on, I'll boycott the Komen-related merchandise, such Yoplait yogurt products, etc. Planned Parenthood has conducted itself with caring and integrity and it sickens me to see the attacks it has sustained from the RW in recent years.
Planned Parenthood can do all the wonderful things we need and love without killing babies helloooooooooooooooooooooooo!
As healthcare worker, I am extremely disappointed by the Komen decision. It is unfair to continue to target the needy. As a woman, I am outraged by this decision! I will NEVER contribute to another Komen fundraiser. Healthcare is not something that should be used as a political tool, these people should be ashamed of this decision. Funny, they find this "choice" acceptable, because it's not pro choice.
This year would have been my 3rd year to donate some money and do a 10k run in Waco for the Komen Race for the cure,but now I will not participate. Planned parenthood has many good things to offer women. I am personally against PP being involved in abortion issues,but I am totally against someone telling me what I choose to do with my body,even as a man. I choose not to smoke,drink alcohol for instance. Should I force my values on people? I would be disliked/hated for that. I will have to answer to God for my choices. This applies to women&all of Gods people also. Komen,here was your chance for some sort of charity to be done for a good cause in helping defeat cancer.
Komen Foundation's decision is wrong, unfair and disrespectful. Komen Foundation inadvertently damages the lives of women and families when rightwing Republican extremists like Karen Handel are allowed to manipulate the organization for cheap political gain.
My organization and I have given money to support the Race for the Cure and participated in many activities to improve women's health for many years. Komen Foundation's decision to strip funding that provides breast cancer screening to 750,000 women at Planned Parenthood Centers is simply unfair. This is a betrayal of the trust placed in Komen Foundation by my organization and millions of people from all walks of life who support the organization each year.
It is now clear that Karen Handel bamboozled and manipulated the Komen Foundation's board and staff. She needs to be fired. Like most rightwing extremists and fundamentalists, she cannot be trusted with the lives of others. She is a net contributor to ignorance and the devaluation of women's lives.
My appeal to the Komen Board and supporters is simple: Please don't let this unfair decision stand. My organization, people in my community and I would like to continue to support the Komen Foundation. But first, the voice of reason and tolerance must, once again, be restored on the Komen Foundation board.
When we gave to the Komen Foundation, we did not intend our contributions to be used for some narrow rightwing political agenda. We wanted to help improve the lives of women and their families. So, please review and reverse this unfair decision.
Please restore all of the Planned parenthood funding so that 750,000 women and their families can continue to enjoy the benefits of our charitable contributions to Komen Foundation.
Thank you.
Never again will I donate money to Komen. I will definitely send further donations to Planned Parenthood. Despicable!
Par for the GOP course. Planned Parenthood has been stomped on by the GOP this year. They would rather see women bare foot, poor, and pregnant than able to vote.
My future donations will go directly to Planned Parenthood even if the Komen Foundation changes their mind. They shouldn't be hiring people with an anti woman agenda to be making any decisions for woman's health.
It is sad that everybody just sees the good things about planned parenthood. Yes they help woman that are poor with screenings but that does change the fact that they murder children. It is interesting that nobody talks about the name either it is called planned parenthood not cancer center or hospital but "planned parenthood." How about they change there name and stop doing abortions and guess what everybody will support them. It truly is sad when moms are more worried about themselves than their children.
For many years I organized teams in my company and helped raised thousands of dollars for Race for the Cure in Denver, which has the largest RFTC in the country. We heard yesterday that the Denver chapter of SGK has requested and received an exemption in order to continue giving grants to Planned Parenthood. I applaud the local chapter for this, but my future donations and fundraising efforts will now go to help Planned Parenthood.
I recently lost a brother to cancer. Trust me, cancer doesn't care whether you're liberal or conservative, pro-life, pro-choice, whatever. The people who are fighting this horrible disease and helping those impacted by it shouldn't care about those things either.
Lastly to JMalluff...abortion services are a very small fraction of the services that Planned Parenthood provides. Millions of women go to PP to get pre-natal care every year so that they can deliver healthy babies. The blindly ignorant assault on PP by so called pro-lifers will have a negative impact on PP being able to provide those services as well.
Frankly, when I read comments like your's above...it really pIsses me off...because thousands of children suffer and die every single day from malnutrition, disease, lack of things like adequate health care and clean drinking water, abuse, neglect, warfare, etc...where is YOUR concern for their welfare????!!!!
I don't know a single person who is "pro-abortion" but I am so sick of so-called pro-lifers who are only concered about children while they're still in the womb...and once they are born...they don't give a damn about them.
Countless children would be able to go to sleep tonight, with a full stomach, in a safe, warm bed and have a brighter tomorrow if a fraction of the time, energy and money that is spent fighting over abortion were instead spent on the health and care of children who are already here.
So, tell us, JMallouf...where is your concern for them? Or this really just about control issues? I'm a man and I don't believe that if I were a woman I would ever choose to have an abortion because I don't think it would be right for me, but I would also never try to deny anyone else from making that choice for themselves. I don't feel a need to force other people to live by the values that I have myself. You apparently do.
Here is another case of a radical conservative using her position to foist her opinions on others. Did she ever really read the Constitution? Ms. Handel ran her in Ga. and lost and now she has a little bit of power and is using it for her own beliefs. If someone did that to her she would hail out the Constitution and push it in our face. However, she has no qualms about forcing her principles on others. SBK organization received a lot of donations from me because my daughter died from cancer and it was one of my favorite charities. Now...my money will go to Planned Parenthood. This woman is keeping the poor women from getting mammograms because of her stupidity. She and the SBK will be the loser in this case and Planned Parenthood will go on and the next time this woman tries to run for anything...just remember her name...Karen Handel...from Georgia. A loser in many ways.
Health and economic issues are the real drivers for anything we do. The right to health issues is personal, not public! You cannot proclaim yourself as a supporter of women's health issues based solely on breast cancer, but must consider all issues of women's health which happens to include the right to abortion. Every women has the right to not abort a child; you have no right to tell someone that their physical, emotional or financial issues are your right to deny them their right. Every dollar available should be sent to Planned Parenthood so they can continue their marvelous work that benefits so many others that have no other option available - Congress certainly will not help!
Today, I have shredded all my Komen address labels. I put all my pink tupperware and water bottles in the recycling bin. I have thrown out all my Komen t shirts. I will never buy a pink ribbon product again. (oh yeah, I wrote a check to Planned Parenthood too)
One other thing. I spent about 3 hours calling and emailing many of the Corporate Sponsors of the Komen foundation and letting them know that I would be boycotting their products until they severed their ties to the Komen foundation.
The list is at the Komen web site:
Maybe the people reading this might want to do the same.