After Susan G. Koken decided to screw over Planned Parenthood this week by pulling funding from the programs breast cancer screening service an unlikely hero has emerged in New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg .
The billionaire mayor on Thursday pledged $250,000 of his own money to the agency with the stipulation that it only be used for breast cancer screening services.
It turns out that the Komen fund pull may actually be benefiting Planned Parenthood as pledges from agencies and individuals donors have surged over the last several days. According to the women’s agency they require nearly $700,000 to make up for the money taken away form them by Susan G. Komen.
Speaking of his donation Bloomberg proclaimed:
“Politics have no place in health care. Breast cancer screening saves lives and hundreds of thousands of women rely on Planned Parenthood for access to care. We should be helping women access that care, not placing barriers in their way.”
Bloomberg’s comment regarding politics is a direct jab at a Komen board member who said on Wednesday that the organizations decision to pull funds from Planned Parenthood after Representative Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida launched a witch hunt against the organization for which many experts believe no hurtful information will be found. Stearns is delaying Planned Parenthood’s actions by request 10 years worth of documents.
In responding to Mayor Bloomberg’s donation Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America released the following statement:
“On behalf of hundreds of thousands of women nationwide who rely on Planned Parenthood for breast cancer education and screening, we are enormously grateful to Mayor Bloomberg. This contribution will help ensure that politics don’t interfere with women having access to health care. People all across the country have stepped forward in the last 48 hours to offer help and support, and the mayor’s donation will help ensure that no woman is denied breast cancer services because of right-wing political pressure campaigns.”
Are you impressed by Michael Bloomberg’s efforts to help Planned Parenthood?