NEW YORK (AP) - Planned Parenthood says it's welcoming today's decision by a breast-cancer charity.
The charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, had instituted a policy that would have eliminated the grants it had been making to Planned Parenthood. But now, it's reversing course, after a flood of criticism that resounded across the Internet.
A statement from Komen says, "We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives."
The criteria that the charity had adopted would exclude Planned Parenthood for future grants for breast-cancer screenings because it was under government investigation -- specifically, a probe launched by a Florida congressman at the urging of anti-abortion groups. Komen now says that policy will only apply to criminal investigations.
The president of Planned Parenthood says the group is "enormously grateful" that the Komen group has "clarified" its policy. She's also thanking those who've donated $3 million to the group in the days since the story broke. Cecile Richards says it shows "the deep resolve all Americans share in the fight against cancer."
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Statement from Susan G. Komen Board of Directors and Founder and CEO Nancy G. Brinker
DALLAS - February 3, 2012 - We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives. 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.
Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.
Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.
It is our hope and we believe it is time for everyone involved to pause, slow down and reflect on how grants can most effectively and directly be administered without controversies that hurt the cause of women. We urge everyone who has participated in this conversation across the country over the last few days to help us move past this issue. We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics – anyone's politics.
Starting this afternoon, we will have calls with our network and key supporters to refocus our attention on our mission and get back to doing our work. We ask for the public's understanding and patience as we gather our Komen affiliates from around the country to determine how to move forward in the best interests of the women and people we serve.
We extend our deepest thanks for the outpouring of support we have received from so many in the past few days and we sincerely hope that these changes will be welcomed by those who have expressed their concern.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure: http://ww5.komen.org/
Planned Parenthood: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
