Fox News is reporting that SGK released a new statement today in which they apologized to the American public for "recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives," when they decided to stop funding Planned Parenthood.
Komen founder Nancy Brinker and the Board of Directors defended the organization's intentions and claimed that their decision was not political and that it was merely setting responsible standards for grant money.
"The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not," the group said.
They then announced that they would change the criteria that disqualified Planned Parenthood - which is a stipulation that grant money cannot be awarded to any organization that is under local, state or federal investigation.
Planned Parenthood is undergoing several investigations at the present time, including Medicaid fraud cases in both Texas and California, fraudulent reporting and illegal abortions in Kansas and a federal Congressional investigation. Komen claims they will revise their new policy "to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair," they said in their new statement.
They went on to say what they said before - that they will continue to fund existing Planned Parenthood grants and preserve the group's eligibility for future grants.
Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards issued a statement in which she white-washed the vitriolic attack on Komen by abortion supporters by calling the events of the past few days a "demonstration" of the "deep resolve all Americans share in the fight against cancer. . . .”
According to popular pro-life activist and blogger, Jill Stanek, R.N., Komen's statement represents nothing new.
"Komen and CEO Nancy Brinker had already stated they would continue to fund Planned Parenthood’s existing grants through 2012 (one through 2013)," Stanek writes.
She claims her source and other reports say the number of existing grants currently stand at five.
"If Planned Parenthood is found guilty of criminal investigations, several of which are ongoing around the states . . Komen’s criteria will still disqualify Planned Parenthood from receiving grants, as it should."
Austin Ruse, the president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, who has been closely following the Komen decision-making process, told LifeNews that he also believes the new statement is not really a change in position.
"Any group can apply for anything. It does not mean they are going to get anything,” Ruse said.
“What this is is an effort to get the mafia off of their backs. As James Taranto said in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, this is a classic shakedown operation. Give us money or we will destroy you. This is Komen’s attempt to save their organization, which we should know is in peril. Our side should know that nothing has changed.”
As LifeNews' Steve Ertelt points out, Komen was facing massive revolt from its own chapters and tremendous opposition from Planned Parenthood and its friends in the media as a result of their decision to defund the abortion giant, which made it necessary for them to do something to save themselves.
Komen " . . .appears to be leaving the door open for potential grants," Ertelt writes, "not that they will necessarily happen beyond the ones previously approved prior to the decision — to please both sides" of this contentious issue.
How this will unfold in the future is uncertain, but one thing is for sure, Ertelt writes: "In the end, Komen’s decision to fund Planned Parenthood originally got itself in the mess it faces now."
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
