Half of Trump Voters Support Federal Funding of Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is sending a message to Donald Trump and the Republicans: They will defund us "At Their Peril".

In a shocking-to-many new study by Harvard's School for Public Health, almost half of Trump supporters are against cutting all federal funds to Planned Parenthood. Add Clinton voters with 70% wanting continued federal funding for PP and it's clear that making defunding Planned Parenthood a top priority could be perilous for Republicans.

The primarily women's health-care provider followed up on the study results with focus groups this month with Trump voters in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin, writes Vogue. Many men had a lot to say. Dawn Laguens, executive vice president and chief brand officer of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) explained the essential nature of Planned Parenthood clinics in rural, medically underserved regions, including those in key Trump-supporting states.

“They’re not just going to be hearing from some liberal Democrats. "Laguens continued. "They’re going to be hearing from people across the political spectrum, and they don’t pay attention at their peril.”

Trump supporters who support the 600-plus health-care centers across America said defunding the organization from federal funds "could also devastate Trump's cred as a Washington outsider and a champion of average Americans."

“I’d be disappointed if he signed it,” a middle-aged male Trump supporter in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said. “He’d be making sure that Congress is on his side, but he doesn’t care about us that voted for him—and a lot of women voted for him.” Another male Trump supporter echoed that denying affordable health care to those who need it would be out of sync with Trump’s populist message: Another male Trump supporter echoed that denying affordable health care to those who need it would be out of sync with Trump’s populist message: “If he doesn’t sign it, it’s going to make a big statement that he’s fighting for the little ones.” Asked to sum up their thoughts on the potential defunding of Planned Parenthood in one word, Trump voters in the focus groups said they’d be “surprised,” “sad,” “concerned,” “disappointed,” “let down” and “pissed off as hell.”

Most Clinton supporters who have been in the trenches on Planned Parenthood issues since 2010 expect early action against the organization. Trump supporters say they would be shocked. Equally interesting among the focus group participants was surprise at learning about Vice President-elect Mike Pence's ultra-conservative record against Planned Parenthood and his support of personhood legislation that would grant a fertilized embryo the same legal rights as its mother.

“I guess I’ve been living in a bubble,” one older man said after being briefed on Pence’s history. “He sounds like a tyrant.” Another said: “I’ve got the distinct impression that he’s got a thing against women being equal.”

Never-ending Battle: Texas vs. Planned Parenthood

One thing is for certain in the state of Texas. Every time we win a court ruling for Planned Parenthood -- as we did in a major Supreme Court 5-3 win in 2016 -- the Texas legislature will be right back with another law to shut down health care for poor women in the state. The research is concrete on the devastation state laws have already wrecked on needy families in the state. With Planned Parenthood still working on reopening clinics shut down and now able to reopen with the Supreme Court decision, the state legislature voted to cut off all Medicaid funding to the organization.

In Texas, Planned Parenthood has previously received $3.1 million in Medicaid funding. Planned Parenthood is turning to the courts, which have generally been favorable to the health care provider on attempts by other states to cut off Medicaid funds.

In 2012, a federal judge found an Indiana law prohibiting abortion providers from receiving funds from any state contracts or state-administered federal funds, violated the Medicaid Act itself. The Medicaid Act requires state Medicaid plans to "provide that ... any individual eligible for medical assistance ... may obtain such assistance from any institution, agency, community pharmacy, or person, qualified to perform the service."

In September 2016, the US District Court Eastern District of Arkansas Western Division shot down a similar law and a federal judge in Mississippi came to a similar conclusion in that state. The Federal District court in Austin, Tx has usually ruled for Planned Parenthood. It's the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans that is the provervial Waterloo for the organization.

The American Bar Association has called Chief Judge Carl Stewart 5th Circuit Court "the nation;s most divisive, controversial and conservative appeals court" in America. Neither Arkansas or Mississippi appealed their cases. If Texas loses in District Court, expect them to go to New Orleans. It's worth noting that Mississippi is part of the that circuit. The 5th Circuit Appeals Court has 17 judges with two vacancies open for over three years. Under President Trump, those vacancies -- presumably locked under Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnelly -- will now be filled.

Earlier this month, the federal government -- announced by President Obama -- finalized a regulation that "says states that award federally funded grants for women's health programs can't discriminate against Planned Parenthood," The regulation doesn't cite Planned Parenthood specifically, but it was clear the rule was written with the organization in mind.

About 75 percent of the more than $500 million Planned Parenthood receives each year in federal funds comes from Medicaid. And the federal contribution to Planned Parenthood represents about 40% of their revenues.

20-Week & 6-Week Abortion Bans

To be clear, only about 1% of abortions in America come after 20 weeks and then almost exclusively to protect the life of the mother or a devasting medical condition in the fetus. Ohio is the latest state to pass a 20-week abortion ban and it was signed into law on December 13 by Gov. John Kasich, who also vetoed the absurd six-week so-called "heartbeat bill". Note that a six-week old-pregnancy is the side of a pomegranate seed or 1/4" . If a woman experiences a miscarriage before eight weeks, she will only expel tissue and generally won't experience anything more than heavy menstrual bleeding.

The Ohio bill was passed with no exceptions for rape or incest. More importantly, there is no exception for the life of the mother. Given the reality that there is no change of a fetus being viable at 20 weeks, Ohio lawmakers say both fetus and mother should die in a life-threatening situation. An unscientific underpinning of the 20-week abortion ban is the argument that the fetus can feel pain. The medical community at large rejects this argument entirely, as the brain of a 20-week-old fetus does not have the neural circuitry capable of "feeling" or "experiencing" pain.

Virginia is set to introduce its own 20-week abortion bill, with 18 states having passed the ban since 2011. Mother Jones writes:

If passed, the bill would punish physicians providing unauthorized late-term abortions with Class 4 felonies, making them subject to prison time and a fine of up to $100,000. The bill also allows for "civil remedies," giving a woman who receives an abortion or the biological father of the terminated fetus the ability to seek punitive damages against physicians who perform abortions in violation of the act.

We will see in February just how quickly President Trump and Congress will move against Planned Parenthood. Typically, attacking women's reproductive health and PP is considered low-hanging fruit and easy wins in Republican-run legislatures.

In addition, Trump has tapped a key anti-abortion Republican to head up his renewed Republican War on Women.