Last week, a group of anti-choice activsts sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner and other Republican leaders declaring tha that "defunding Planned Parenthood must be a non-negotiable in the Continuing Resolution and we urge you to accept nothing less than this outcome."
That letter apparently didn't have much influence on Boehner, as just a few days later he admitted that Republicans have no intention of insisting that the provision to defund Planned Parenthood remain in the Continuing Resolution if that means shutting down the government.
But Religious Right anti-choice activists are continuing to draw a line in the sand, and dozens of them - including Tony Perkins, Tom Minnery, Penny Nance, Phyllis Schlafly, Charmaine Yoest, Richard Land, Marjorie Dannenfelser, Andrea Lafferty, and Bob Vander Plaats - have signed on to a new letter [PDF] to Speaker Boehner and Rep. Eric Cantor to ostensibly thank them for supporting efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and remind them that this issue is "non-negotiable"
Funding Planned Parenthood and its affiliates does not decrease abortion. Rather, it increases the incidence of abortion, while it also encourages irresponsible and sometimes illegal activities that harm young women. In addition, Planned Parenthood’s abortion machine massively outpaces its adoption referrals. In 2008 a woman entering a Planned Parenthood clinic was 134 times more likely to have an abortion than be referred for adoption.
As debate over the Continuing Resolution continues, you and your colleagues will undoubtedly receive pressure from Planned Parenthood and its allies. Spending must be reduced, and taxpayers do not need to be, and do not want to be, funding the abortion empire. Defunding Planned Parenthood is a non-negotiable for this budget.
We hope you will continue to champion the Pence provision to ensure that it is not removed during the legislative process.
