By Cheryl Sullenger
Washington, DC — Planned Parenthood offices across the nation have closed this year at a record rate, according to data compiled by Operation Rescue. At least 24 Planned Parenthood sites have closed in so far in 2013. This number includes 3 surgical abortion clinics, 3 clinics that dispensed abortion pills, and 19 offices that referred for abortions.
“Abortion numbers are down so there is less demand for Planned Parenthood. Couple that with recent scandals involving Planned Parenthood that have resulted increased disapproval of their abortion business and it’s easy to see why these clinics are closing on such a large scale,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. “While Planned Parenthood officials like to portray these closings as the end of the world for women, in reality, there are plenty of other competent health care providers who are not in business to sell them abortions that stand at the ready to assist women.”
Operation Rescue documented the stated reasons for many of the closures.
In February, five clinics in New York severed ties with Planned Parenthood rather than include the practice of abortion after the national organization mandated that all affiliates provide abortions in at least one of their facilities.
In Texas, at least one Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Midland has closed due to its inability to meet new health and safety standards for abortion clinics.
Other clinic closed due to the defunding of Planned Parenthood organizations by states, general funding cuts, decline in business, and a lack of physicians willing to do abortions.
Planned Parenthood scandals have taken a public relations toll and have led to efforts to defund the abortion giant. Recently, the Planned Parenthood has been placed under investigation by the Governmental Accounting Office, which is looking into widespread allegations of financial malfeasance.
Other abuse-related problems have been exposed in recent months, including:

• Thirty-one documented medical emergencies requiring emergency transport to hospitals from Planned Parenthood clinics since 2012.
• Ohio Right to Life’s documentation of 42 serious complications to the abortion pill since 2011, 32 of which occurred at Ohio Planned Parenthood clinics.
• The death of abortion patient Tonya Reaves at a Chicago Planned Parenthood clinic, which allowed to hemorrhage for 5½ hours before calling for emergency help.
• Planned Parenthood agreed to pay $4.3 million to settle a federal civil suit charging that it fraudulently billed Medicaid for women’s health services provided by some of its Texas clinics from 2003 to 2009.
• Planned Parenthood of Illinois settled a case of Medicaid fraud committed its medical director, abortionist Caroline Hoke, for $367,000.
• Whistleblower suits filed by former Planned Parenthood employees remain pending in California, Texas, and Iowa that allege massive billing fraud.
• Closure of the entire Planned Parenthood Golden Gate affiliate for financial malfeasance.
• The widespread non-reporting of child sex abuse.
• The webcam abortion pill scam in Iowa that has prompted Federal legislation as well as new laws banning the dangerous practice in at least 11 states. The Iowa Board of Medicine is currently revamping regulations to disallow the process.
• The documentation by Life Dynamics, Inc. that Planned Parenthood specifically targets minority communities, especially African-Americans, for abortion.

In spite of all Planned Parenthood’s scandalous behavior, the abortion-promoting Obama Administration announced last week that it has awarded over $655,000 in taxpayer grants to three Planned Parenthood affiliates to act as “navigators,” assisting the public in subscribing to Obamacare. This has created even greater resistance to Obama’s socialized medicine program among people of faith.
“These ‘navigator’ grants are undoubtedly meant to bolster a struggling Planned Parenthood, and may slow the closures for the time being,” said Newman. “But the reality is that Planned Parenthood is only able to continue its vast abortion enterprise with the aid of tax-payer funds. Yet tax-funded abortions are something the majority of Americans adamantly oppose. An Election Day showdown on the subject is becoming more likely.”
In the meantime, the record number of Planned Parenthood office closures is encouraging to those who work to protect innocent life and end abortion, especially in light of a nationwide trend. So far in 2013, 43 surgical abortion clinics have closed around the country, compared to 24 closures in 2012.
“We will work through legal avenues to make sure this trend of abortion clinic closures continues until there are none left to inflict human misery upon vulnerable women and their children,” said Newman.