INDIANAPOLIS — Both U.S. senators from Indiana, Todd Young and Mike Braun, have joined other Republican senators in a letter urging the Small Business Administration to prevent Planned Parenthood affiliates from receiving Paycheck Protection Program loans.
In the first round of PPP loans, 38 Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country received a total of more than $80 million. Indiana’s affiliate, Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, received between $2 million and $5 million in PPP loans, data from the Small Business Administration shows.
The money became a controversial topic, as the federal government asked Planned Parenthood to return the $80 million, which the organization declined.
The SBA said the PPP loans were for small businesses. Since Planned Parenthood has more than 500 employees across the country, it would be ineligible. But Planned Parenthood claimed each affiliate as a separate business, saying the leadership and finances are separate.
They also said they were being unfairly targeted by the federal government for taking the loan money - something other local nonprofit affiliates did without causing a fuss, such as the YMCA or the United Way, as a Vox.com story explains.
PPP money can’t be used to pay for abortions conduction at Planned Parenthood affiliates.
As a new round of PPP funding is becoming available for small businesses, Young and 29 other senators want to make sure Planned Parenthood doesn’t get more COVID-19 relief funding.
“We therefore urge you to inform participating lenders that Planned Parenthood affiliates are ineligible to receive second-draw PPP loans, and encourage them to immediately notify SBA if a Planned Parenthood affiliate applies for such a loan through their institution,” the letter states.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky did not respond to a request for comment on the letter.
The letter goes even further than just wanting to prevent additional funding, threatening legal action if Planned Parenthood applies for the loans.
“Furthermore, we urge you to refer any Planned Parenthood affiliate that applies for such a loan to the Department of Justice for prosecution,” the letter states. “Planned Parenthood affiliates are well aware that they are ineligible to receive PPP loans, on the basis of SBA’s letters and the frank admission of their political-action committee. Their attempts to apply for PPP loans are naked attempts to defraud the United States government”
