Oklahoma’s 2 U.S. Senators sign off on letter urging SBA to not give PPP loan to Planned Parenthood affiliates

WASHINGTON (KFOR) – Two Oklahoma U.S. Senators joined 29 others in signing off on a letter urging the Small Business Administration not to give Planned Parenthood affiliates a second round of federal Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Senator Jim Inhofe and Senator James Lankford were a part of the letter sent to the Small Business Administration. The full letter can be read below:

This coronavirus relief package has almost the same qualifications to be eligible as back in the spring. The Senators argue that Planned Parenthood has too many employees to qualify. However, Planned Parenthood argues that it’s their organizational structure that makes them eligible.

In the letter, the Senators call the organization “the nation’s largest and most notorious abortion provider, do not receive loans under the paycheck protection program, as they did earlier this year in defiance of the law.”

This is after at least 37 Planned Parenthood affiliates received over $80 million in federal PPP funding from the CARES Act back in the spring. Planned Parenthood’s statement on applying for the new loans is as follows:

“We’re here for patients because we know sexual and reproductive health care can’t wait. That’s why Planned Parenthood Great Plains, like so many other nonprofits, applied for a loan from the federal government — because in the middle of a global pandemic, it’s more important than ever that our providers and our staff are able to give our patients and our local community the health care they need.”

PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Lankford and Inhofe said in the letter that a second drawn loan applicant can have no more than 300 employees across all their affiliates, adding that Planned Parenthood employs over 16,000 employees nationwide.

Planned Parenthood said in the spring that it’s their organizational structure, the national organization being separate from their affiliates that makes them eligible, adding that it was the affiliates that applied for them, not the national organization itself.

Back in the spring, the Trump administration and Small Business Administration pressured Planned Parenthood to give back the loans they received.

Planned Parenthood representatives said they do more than abortions, that being other healthcare. The Senators also said in the letter that “we urge you to refer any planned parenthood affiliate that applies for such a loan to the department of justice for prosecution.”

Lankford asked the Department of Justice to get involved and investigate in the spring, alleging Planned Parenthood received the money illegally and applied knowing they were ineligible.