While the nature of Planned Parenthood as a provider of abortion services has caused many to view the organization with disdain, recent controversy over Planned Parenthood's use of fetal tissue has placed the organization in the spotlight. Conservatives politicians have begun a crusade to eliminate Planned Parenthood's federal funding, while liberals have rushed to defend the organization as a critical entity serving women's health care needs.

Gauging Public Opinion

Despite many Republicans' resolve for defunding Planned Parenthood, the American public is not on their side. By nearly a two-to-one margin, the vast majority of Americans are opposed to the idea of stripping Planned Parenthood of its funding. Interestingly, not even Republicans are united over the issue; only 59% support the move to defund the organization.

The Amount Of Federal Funding

Between 2012 and 2013, Planned Parenthood netted over 1.2 billion dollars in revenue. Despite its impressive earnings, about 45% of its total net revenue - 540.6 million dollars - can be attributed to the money gained through taxpayer-funded health care grants. Indeed, the federal government accounts for nearly half of the organizations total income, a larger percentage than the revenue it earns from the services it provides. If federal funding were to ever be cut off from Planned Parenthood, the organization would undoubtedly face a nearly insurmountable setback.

The Necessity Of Planned Parenthood?

Although many proponents of Planned Parenthood argue that defunding the organization would be a devastating blow to the accessibility of women's health care, that claim might not be completely accurate. Planned Parenthood makes up only a small percentage of the total number of federally funded healthcare clinics available to low-income, medically under-served communities. In fact, for every Planned Parenthood center in the United States, there are twenty non-abortion providing community health clinics.