Planned Parenthood raises $400,000 in 24 hours

Supporters of Planned Parenthood have flooded the organization with enough donations to recoup almost all of the money that would have come from the Susan G. Komen foundation.

Planned Parenthood said it has raised $400,000 in online donations in the 24 hours since news broke that Komen would no longer fund cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood clinics. More than 6,000 people have donated, Planned Parenthood said.

The group announced yesterday a $250,000 donation to continue providing cancer screenings to low-income women.

"People respond powerfully when they see politics interfering with women’s health," Planned Parenthood said. "That’s why we’ve seen a tremendous outpouring of support. These donations will continue to help expand Planned Parenthood’s critical health care services nationwide, especially those affiliates impacted by the Komen cuts."

Critics of Komen's decision say the charity caved to political pressure from the right, which has pushed aggressively to cut off public funding to Planned Parenthood because it provides abortions in addition to other women's healthcare services.

Komen has said it severed its ties with Planned Parenthood not because of politics, but because Planned Parenthood is the subject of a congressional investigation. Nevertheless, abortion-rights opponents cheered the move, saying a cancer charity never should have been involved with organizations that provide abortions.

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