ACLJ & 41 Members of Congress Urge Appeals Court to Back Indiana Law Defunding Planned Parenthood

Washington, Aug 8, 2011 -
ACLJ & 41 Members of Congress Urge Appeals Court to Back Indiana Law Defunding Planned Parenthood

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, today urged a federal appeals court - on behalf of 41 members of Congress and more than 25,000 Americans - to reverse a lower court decision and uphold an Indiana law that prohibits federal funds from going to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. The ACLJ filed an amicus brief backing the Indiana law saying it is consistent with federal statutes and is constitutionally sound.

In May, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1210 into law - a measure that prohibits the distribution of federal Medicaid funds it receives to organizations like Planned Parenthood that perform abortions. Planned Parenthood, backed by the Obama Administration, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law. A federal district court granted a motion for a preliminary injunction putting the enforcement of the law on hold.

"The state of Indiana and other states do have the constitutional authority to determine how it spends federal funds," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. "The fact is that Planned Parenthood receives more than $350 million a year in taxpayer funds. Indiana's decision to no longer use federal money to fund the nation's largest abortion provider is not only a constitutionally sound decision, but one we hope is implemented in other states across the country."

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