Komen’s Nancy Brinker Responds: ‘We Will Never Bow to Pressure’
The Susan G. Komen Foundation finally responded Thursday to critics of the breast cancer charity’s decision to withdraw funding from Planned Parenthood. But it did so by releasing a video of the group’s grim-faced
Komen founder Nancy Brinker, who named the charity after her sister Susan, who died of breast cancer.founder, Nancy Brinker.
Though groomed to perfection, Brinker looked about like you’d expect of someone who’d spent years building something, brick by brick, and then driven a truck through the front window by accident.
One thing she did right, however, was take responsibility for the controversial decision: “I,” she said, stressing the word, initiated a comprehensive review of our grants and standards. This isn’t unusual; we’re always looking at our policies and procedures.”
The only goal, she said, was to eliminate “duplicative” grants, and “wherever possible” make grants directly to the provider.” Planned Parenthood does not actually do the mammograms, but refers women to providers who do.
Komen officials told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the decision was the result of its own new policy precluding it from funding any group under government investigation. In September, a Congressional committee began investigating whether Planned Parenthood complies with the Hyde Amendment barring the federal funding of abortions.
Brinker also clarified that Komen is not pulling any grants this minute, and said the group had always intended to make sure there were no gaps in service by contracting directly with service providers when the current contracts are up.
And she repeated that the decision had nothing to do with politics.