NC Family Staff | May 22, 2020 | SHARE: 
The nearly $2 trillion “CARES Act” economic stabilization package passed by Congress in late March included hundreds of billions of dollars for small business loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). These potentially forgivable loans were intended to help small businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations with less than 500 employees to weather the economic shutdown brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Yet affiliates of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider with well over 500 employees and well over $1 billion in assets, applied and reportedly received $80 million in small business loans through the PPP.
On Wednesday, Fox News reported “thirty-seven Planned Parenthood affiliates applied for and received a total of $80 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program.” According to Fox, the Small Business Administration (SBA)—which facilitates the PPP—is asking for this money back. The PPP application requires applicants to certify several parameters before they can be eligible for these funds. One is that the applicant “is an independent contractor, eligible self-employed individual, or sole proprietor,” or “employs no more than the greater of 500 employees …” Planned Parenthood easily employs over 500 people. Another requirement is that the authorized representative of the applicant must certify in good faith that “Current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.” In Planned Parenthood’s case, this appears to be far from the truth.
Putting aside the fact that Planned Parenthood was ineligible for these coronavirus relief funds due to its size, its request for funds is ludicrous when compared to the economic struggles most small businesses are experiencing. The abortion giant had nearly $2 billion in net assets and over $1.6 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year. The PPP was designed to help small businesses that were severely impacted by business shutdowns, stay-at-home orders, and other COVID-19 related difficulties.
In Planned Parenthood’s case, the nation’s largest abortion provider has, by and large, been able to remain open and operational despite massive nationwide closings of other businesses, medical practices, etc.
As NC Family pointed out in our May 25 story, governors around our country, including in North Carolina, made exceptions for abortion clinics when suspending all elective and non-urgent medical procedures and surgeries. Abortions were deemed “essential” and allowed to continue. This means that Planned Parenthood was allowed to remain open and continue its day-to-day operations, while small businesses—the intended recipients of PPP loans—were forced to close. Therefore, the abortion giant should be disqualified from receiving PPP funds because it is already massively funded, it has been allowed to continue its normal operations, and it employs over 500 people.
Thankfully, many national leaders—along with the SBA—are demanding Planned Parenthood return the funds. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) said in a letter to the SBA, “Planned Parenthood is not a small business. It is a multibillion-dollar company. […]And now, Planned Parenthood has diverted $80 million from actual small businesses during a global pandemic even though Planned Parenthood knew it was ineligible for this program.” Similarly, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is calling for the SBA to investigate whether “Planned Parenthood, the banks, or staff at the SBA knowingly violated the law.”
COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our nation’s economy, especially on our small businesses. It is unconscionable that Planned Parenthood would use this difficult time to divert taxpayer dollars meant for small businesses to fund the continued destruction of innocent, vulnerable human lives. We at NC Family join fellow pro-life organizations, lawmakers, and other state and national leaders in calling for Planned Parenthood to return the $80 million in taxpayer dollars it wrongfully claimed, so these funds can be redistributed to those who truly need them.
We will keep you updated as this story develops.
