Oklahoma Congressional Members Put Planned Parenthood Under The Microscope

Two members of Oklahoma's congressional delegation are leading an effort to find out if Planned Parenthood improperly obtained Covid-19 relief money -- taxpayer dollars -- and then used the funding to pay for abortions.

Congress passed and then-President Trump signed the $2.2 trillion CARES Act in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic.

The massive relief package included what are known as Provider Relief Funds (PRF), meant for "providers who diagnose, test, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of Covid-19."

Oklahoma Senator James Lankford and Congressman Josh Brecheen are now questioning why Planned Parenthood, known for its strong support of abortion rights and for providing abortions at its clinics, received $20 million in PRF money.

Lankford (R-OK) and Brecheen (R-OK2) this week sent a letter, signed by 35 other Republican colleagues, to the Inspector General for Health and Human Services, Christi Grimm, hoping to get an investigation and then an explanation.

They also question whether Planned Parenthood even qualified to receive that funding.

In their letter, they question whether Planned Parenthood used any of the funding to pay for abortions, which would constitute a violation of the Hyde Amendment, and whether the nonprofit was even eligible to receive PRF dollars.

“We request that you review the PRF applications submitted by Planned Parenthood and its affiliates," the two wrote, "to determine whether the organization provided false or misleading information to obtain access to PRF funds.”

They go on to suggest that Grimm submit a criminal or civil referral to the Justice Department, "[if] it is discovered that Planned Parenthood intentionally falsified information on its applications."

In a separate tweet, Rep. Brecheen said, “Planned Parenthood should not be receiving any of our tax dollars in the first place and it would be incredibly concerning if it provided false or misleading information in order to get these funds.”

According to USA Facts, abortion accounts for about three percent of the services Planned Parenthood provides.

Mostly, the nonprofit provides STD testing, contraception, cancer screening and other women's health services, many of which are covered by Medicaid and thus eligible for federal reimbursement.

Responding to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the Inspector General confirmed the office had received the letter and said it was being reviewed to determine the appropriate course of action.

Planned Parenthood has not yet responded to a request for a comment.