By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
In the wake of a scandal surrounding the cover up of child sex trafficking in a New Jersey Planned Parenthood, Governor Chris Christie vetoed a bill yesterday that would have restored millions of taxpayer dollars to the abortion giant.
LifeNews is reporting that the bill, known as A3273/S2393, would have provided $7.5 million to 58 family planning clinics in the state, of which Planned Parenthood runs 29. Because the state faces an $11 billion deficit, the governor decided last spring to cut the funds.
“I don’t believe that is a priority in a budget where you have to cut $11 billion,” the governor said at the time. “I believe that women have the opportunity to access health care all across New Jersey. Family planning has nothing to do with mammograms, and don’t put the two of them together.”
As a result, pro-abortion lawmakers in the State House passed a bill that restored the funds and sent it to the governor for signature. Christie was under intense pressure to sign it, with the Star-Ledger newspaper publishing an editorial accusing him of standing in the way of providing family planning services to women in the state.
“Gov. Chris Christie is standing in the way of restoring funds to state family planning services, and for no good reason,” the editorial claimed. “Christie’s opposition to the funding has won him praise from abortion opponents, but that’s a phony issue: no state funds are ever used for abortion.”
The paper neglected to add that providing taxpayer funds to the clinics frees up other capital that can then be invested in the highly profitable abortion business.
“Both houses of the Legislature have passed a bill to transfer the money,” the paper continued. “The Senate did so with enough votes to override a veto; the Assembly did not but might be able to pull it off if necessary. But it shouldn’t come to that. Christie should sign the bill — or, if he can’t bring himself to do so, then let it become law by default in 45 days.”
Christie refused to cave and vetoed the bill.
Although it is not known if the recent undercover sting of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, which showed a clinic worker advising a pimp on how to cover up the sex trafficking of minors, had any influence on the decision, it certainly bolstered the governor’s case for why taxpayer funds are better used elsewhere.
The governor’s veto is receiving high praise from pro-life leaders both inside and outside of the state.
Marie Tasy, Executive Director for New Jersey Right to Life, applauded the veto in an email to LifeNews.com.
“We thank Governor Christie for vetoing this bill. A3273/S2393 would have forced taxpayers to support the activities and expansion of an organization that was caught on tape aiding and abetting in the sex trafficking and abortions of minors as young as 14. In vetoing this bill, Governor Christie has ensured that NJ taxpayers will not be complicit in the sexual abuse and exploitation of poor women and minors under the pretense of ‘women’s health,’” she said.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, is hopeful that the same courageous defunding of Planned Parenthood will take place on the national level.
“As the unethical and illegal activities of Planned Parenthood continue to be exposed, the pressure will build not only here in Washington but in states across the nation to end taxpayer subsidies to the nation’s largest abortion organization,” Perkins said. “Undercover sting operations in New Jersey and around the country demonstrate Planned Parenthood’s willingness to cover-up sexual abuse and even exploit victims of child prostitution.
“I commend Governor Chris Christie for refusing to underwrite the apparent criminal behavior of Planned Parenthood. His commitment to both human dignity and fiscal responsibility deserve high praise,” he said.
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