Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) released the following statement after the Susan B. Komen Foundation reversed course and decided to continue funding their grant to Planned Parenthood.  Rep. Engel criticized the decision on February 1 to withhold grant funding from Planned Parenthood because of the “highly-politicized persecution by the Republican-led House of Representatives.”  Rep. Engel is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, and longtime advocate for a woman’s right to choose.

“The Komen Foundation deserves credit for changing their mind and choosing to stand up to the political gamesmanship which too often passes for governing in Washington.  Both the Komen Foundation and Planned Parenthood share a mission to improve health care for American women, and to eliminate cancer in our lifetime. Organizations fighting for the same cause need to stand together, and not be wedged apart because of political ideology.  It is disappointing the Republicans have been so successful in providing misinformation on health care issues since President Obama took office.  It is shameful their vendetta against Planned Parenthood – one filled with falsehoods about their mission – has led to good organizations such as Komen to become involved in such political fights.

“While Komen deserves the criticism it received for their initial decision, they deserve credit for swiftly seeing the error of the ways.  If only some of my colleagues in the House would put aside their ideological blinders and focus their attention on cutting the payroll tax, ending our dependence on foreign oil, and putting even more Americans back to work.”

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