Fox & Friends Saturday Falsely Claims Daniels Will Sign Bill “Stripping Planned Parenthood Of Government Funding For Abortions”

Huddy: “Daniels ... Plans To Sign Legislation Stripping Planned Parenthood Of Government Funding For Abortions.” On the April 30 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends Saturday, guest host Juliet Huddy claimed Daniels will be making “an unprecedented move on abortion rights” by signing “legislation stripping Planned Parenthood of government funding for abortions.” Huddy added, “He says women's health and family planning services will still be available.”

On-screen text during the segment claimed:

[Fox & Friends Saturday, Fox News, 4/30/11]

Bill Actually Ends All Medicaid Funding For Planned Parenthood in Indiana

WaPo: “Daniels ... Plans To Sign Legislation That Would Prevent Planned Parenthood In The State From Receiving Medicaid Funds ... Indiana Will Be The First State To Take That Step.” From an April 29 article in The Washington Post:

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) announced Friday that he plans to sign legislation that would prevent Planned Parenthood in the state from receiving Medicaid funds. When he does, Indiana will be the first state to take that step. [The Washington Post, 4/29/11]

Politico: “The Bill ... Would Bar The State From Entering Into Contracts With Abortion Providers.” Politico stated in an April 27 article that "[t]he bill, which passed the Indiana State House late Wednesday afternoon, would bar the state from entering into contracts with abortion providers, making an exception for hospitals and ambulatory centers." [Politico, 4/27/11]

IN Bill States State Agencies “May Not” Contract With Or Provide Grants To “Any Entity That Performs Abortions.” From Indiana House Enrolled Act No. 1210:

(a) This section does not apply to hospitals licensed under IC 16-21-2 or ambulatory surgical centers licensed under IC 16-21-2.

(b) An agency of the state may not:

(1) enter into a contract with; or

(2) make a grant to;

any entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed that involves the expenditure of state funds or federal funds administered by the state.

(c) Any appropriation by the state:

(1) in a budget bill;

(2) under IC 5-19-1-3.5; or

(3) in any other law of the state;

to pay for a contract with or grant made to any entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed is canceled, and the money appropriated is not available for payment of any contract with or grant made to the entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a

facility where abortions are performed.

(d) For any contract with or grant made to an entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed covered under subsection (b), the budget agency shall make a determination that funds are not available, and the contract or grant shall be terminated under section 5 of this chapter. [Indiana House Enrolled Act 1210, accessed 4/30/11]

Laws Already Prohibit Federal And State Funds From Paying For Almost All Abortions

NY Times: “Federal Law Prohibits Medicaid Money From Being Used To Pay For Abortions Except In Cases Of Rape, A Threat To The Life Of A Mother Or Incest.” From The New York Times:

Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana said Friday that he would sign a bill cutting off Medicaid financing for Planned Parenthood, a move that lawmakers in several states have begun pondering as a new approach in the battle over abortion. Indiana becomes the first state to go forward.

[...]

“Any organization affected by this provision can resume receiving taxpayer dollars immediately by ceasing or separating its operations that perform abortions,” Mr. Daniels said in a statement.

Federal law prohibits Medicaid money from being used to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, a threat to the life of a mother or incest. Planned Parenthood says Medicaid dollars go toward paying for items like annual exams, birth control and breast cancer screening. [The New York Times, 4/29/11]

Kaiser Family Fund: Indiana Already Prohibits State Funds From Being Used To Cover Abortions Beyond Those “Involving Life Endangerment, Rape, And Incest” According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), as of August 1, 2010, Indiana was one of 32 states that follows the federal standard for using state taxes to fund abortion, meaning that it funded abortion only in “cases involving life endangerment, rape and incest.” KFF explained that "[s]tates can use their own funds to cover other medically necessary abortions -- usually defined by states as those to protect the physical or mental health of the woman -- for Medicaid recipients." Indiana was listed as forbidding state funds from being used for such “other medically necessary abortions.” [Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed 4/30/11]

New Bill Could Harm Women's Health And Family Planning Services

Wash. Post: “Indiana Could Lose $4 Million In Federal Family Planning Funds As A Result Of Its Legislation.” From The Washington Post:

Medicaid is jointly funded by federal and state governments, and state governments distribute the money. Federal law prohibits states from deciding which organizations receive Medicaid funding for any reason other than quality of care. Indiana could lose $4 million in federal family planning funds as a result of its legislation. [The Washington Post, 4/29/11]

Wash. Post: “Half Of All Births In [Indiana] Are Covered By Medicaid.” The Washington Post's The Fix blog reported: "[F]amily planning in Indiana is a fiscal as well as a social issue. Half of all births in the state are covered by Medicaid." [The Washington Post, 4/26/11]

PPIN: Bill Would Take Away "$3 Million ... PPIN Receives To Provide Basic, Preventative Health Services" Including Pap Tests, Birth Control, STD Screenings. From a February 7, 2011, press release from PPIN:

The intent of these bills is to take away the approximately $3 million dollars in federal grant dollars and Medicaid reimbursements that PPIN receives to provide basic, preventive health services from Pap tests to birth control to screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) for almost 22,000 women. Not one dime is used to pay for abortions here in Indiana. Not a dime. [Planned Parenthood of Indiana, 2/7/11]

PPIN: “Federal Grant Funds Are Used At Eight Sites In High-Need Underserved Areas ... It Would Be Difficult, If Not Impossible, To Find Other Providers Willing To Take On These Areas.” From the February 2011 PPIN press release:

PPIN has 28 health centers statewide. Federal grant funds are used at eight sites in high-need underserved areas in northwestern and rural southern Indiana. Those centers are located in Gary, East Chicago, Michigan City, Elkhart, Bedford, Seymour, Scottsburg and New Albany. These centers operate at a net loss of more than $90,000. PPIN makes up the difference through private fundraising. Serving the underserved is not a profit-making venture. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to find other providers willing to take this on in those areas. PPIN is a mission-based organization, committed to providing quality, affordable and PREVENTIVE health care. [Planned Parenthood of Indiana, 2/7/11, emphasis original]

Right-Wing Media Advanced Similar Falsehood About Federal Bill To Defund Planned Parenthood

Right-Wing Media Falsely Suggested Congressional Republicans Were Trying To Stop Federal Funding For Abortion When They Pushed To Defund Planned Parenthood. During the recent federal budget stand-off between Republicans and President Obama, the right wing-media falsely suggested that House Republicans wanted to end funding to Planned Parenthood because the federal funding is used to “provide abortions.” However, these reports failed to note that Planned Parenthood does not and cannot use federal funds to pay for its clinics' abortion services. [Media Matters, 4/8/11]