By Rachel Bennett - email
(RNN) – The Susan G. Komen foundation announced Friday it had reversed its decision to cut funding to Planned Parenthood after loud public backlash led to the resignation of several top executives.
"We want to apologize for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives," the organization wrote on its Twitter feed Friday.
The Komen foundation had planned to drop breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood, a group of women's health clinics that treat the medically under-served. Planned Parenthood said Tuesday the decision was politically motivated.
[Read the statement from the Susan G. Komen foundation.]
Komen officials claimed to have dropped the funding because of new, more stringent requirements as to who can receive funding, including eliminating funding for any organization under investigation for wrongdoing.
Friday, the organization clarified its position.
"We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political," according to Komen's Twitter feed Friday.
Three Komen executives had resigned or threatened to resign as of Thursday night, including:
AP reported that 26 U.S. senators - all of them Democrats save for independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont - joined in a petition to ask Komen to reconsider its decision to drop the funding.
"It would be tragic if any woman — let alone thousands of women — lost access to these potentially lifesaving screenings because of a politically motivated attack," the petition stated.
One Charlotte cancer suvivor likened the controversy to a roller coaster relationship. Reba Whaley was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. "Three days ago Komen and I broke up and now they've changed their decision..they've sent me flowers and said oops we were wrong and please get back with us. So today, I'm a little less upset than I was three days ago but I'm still disappointed that the decision was made at all," Whaley said.
Acting Executive Director of the Susan G. Komen Affiliate Neel Stallings told WBTV that they've received numerous phone calls and emails this week. Asked if she thought the controversy would affect local giving, Stallings said, "We have gotten calls and emails that have been angry about this and many people have been supportive about this - so we just don't know."
The Charlotte affiliate has an independent grant panel that determines where money goes. It funds organizations that help women with education, screening and treatment. The Charlotte affiliate does not give grants to the local Planned Parenthood. Stallings says they haven't asked for funds this year or last.
"Nothing has changed from this week to last week We are mission focused..mission is saving lives and ending breast cancer forever. Our grantees haven't been affected by this," Stallings said.
The Komen organization, whose high profile pink-ribbon campaign raises awareness and generates money for breast cancer research, typically grants about $680,000 in funding to Planned Parenthood, which provides sexual and reproductive health care, including breast exams and birth control, to low-income women.
Komen took heavy criticism from people and organizations that claimed Komen bucked under political pressure from anti-abortion advocates who oppose Planned Parenthood's practice of providing abortions.
The organization has been targeted by anti-abortion groups. Lifeway Christian Resources pulled Komen's cancer-awareness Bible that raised money for the charity because of ties to Planned Parenthood.
Williams said in a statement issued to The Atlantic that as a health professional, she has to honor the confidentiality of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, but did explain why she made the decision.
"I have dedicated my career to fighting for the rights of the marginalized and under-served," Williams said in the statement. "And I believe it would be a mistake for any organization to bow to political pressure and compromise its mission."
Planned Parenthood saw an uptick in giving after Komen withdrew its support. The Associated Press reported the group received more than $400,000 from 6,000 donors in the 24 hours since the news broke. Other reports state the organization may have replaced all $680,000 in funds before Friday's decision.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg pledged to match every new donation, dollar for dollar, to Planned Parenthood up to $250,000 out of his own pocket.
Komen said in a statement Thursday that it withdrew the funding because of new, more stringent regulations as to who is eligible for grants and denied the decision was politically motivated.
"We are dismayed and extremely disappointed that actions we have taken to strengthen our granting process have been widely mischaracterized. It is necessary to set the record straight," the statement read.
"We regret that these new policies have impacted some longstanding grantees, such as Planned Parenthood, but want to be absolutely clear that our grant-making decisions are not about politics."
The House oversight and investigations subcommittee began an investigation into Planned Parenthood's funding in the fall that put the organization under pressure.
Planned Parenthood countered the Komen statement, claiming that Komen has withdrawn its support because of politics.
"We are alarmed and saddened that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure. Our greatest desire is for Komen to reconsider this policy and recommit to the partnership on which so many women count," said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America in a statement.
Planned Parenthood said it has provided more than 4 million breast exams nationwide. The funding from Komen paid for 170,000 of those exams.
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