The recent attack on Planned Parenthood has led to an intense scrutiny of the organization. Before the Senate, once again, is the issue of whether or not the government should fund the company.

The Center for Medical Progress (CMP), an anti-abortion organization, filmed a group of Planned Parenthood officials at lunch discussing collecting fees for tissue from aborted fetuses. CMP, hoping to cause a stir large enough to attempt to keep all governmental funds from this organization, then leaked the video to the media.

The group has released a total of eight videos in protest of the organization’s services. In response to the allegations, Planned Parenthood apologized for the tone of the conversations but insisted the videos had been edited to display a message the speakers had never intended. 

According to Planned Parenthood, officials were discussing the cost of transporting fetal tissue for medical research and in no way were implying that the tissues were being sold to the highest bidder.

This past year, Planned Parenthood received $528.4 million in government funds and $305.3 million from nongovernment sources, according to the Washington Post. The organization states it uses the money from nongovernment sources to fund its abortion services.

While anti-abortion groups are constantly attacking Planned Parenthood over providing abortions, they fail to mention the plethora of other services offered by the company. Abortion only accounts for 3 percent of their services.

Forty-two percent of funds go to STI/STD testing and
treatment, 34 percent to contraception, 11 percent to other women’s health services, 9 percent to cancer screenings and prevention, 3 percent to abortion and 1 percent to other services, according to the Washington Post.

Removing funding would mean the government would cease to assist in the many beneficial services offered by the organization. Planned Parenthood provides necessary and preemptive health care to women across the country, many of whom have low and moderate incomes. 

The fight against the organization will only prevent women from receiving the health care they need and otherwise may not be able to afford.

Politicians are adopting a stand on this issue and using it to back their campaigns. While the topic of abortion has not been a stranger to past elections, it appears as if it will now be one of the primary contending platforms. 

What started as a vulgar media manipulation has turned into an issue many are using to advance in the polls. Pay attention to the remarks made by the presidential elects. For many, it seems the primary health care accessed by hundreds of thousands of women is something to be scourged from the budget paid for by taxpayers.

Though the Senate voted down the budget cut, the opposing forces are relentless. This is not the first time citizens have called for the re-evaluation of funds towards this organization, and it will undoubtedly not be the last. 

Breanne Williams is a junior majoring in mass communications.