This Chart Will Debunk All Republican Myths On Planned Parenthood

OAfter his 2012 endorsement of Mitt Romney for president, and his history of Republican-leaning, Ross Perot's foundation did something seemingly out of character. On Tuesday, the Ross Perot Foundation of Dallas, donated $1 million to Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas to be used however the organization sees fit.

Pull your chin off the floor, and consider that when Perot campaigned for the presidency in 1992 and 1996, he had a pro-choice platform, and the Ross Perot foundation has been a long time supporter of women's health in Texas; the foundation has contributed to Planned Parenthood regularly over the last 20 years and built the Margot Perot Center for Women & Infants.

Perot stated, "We … recognize the need to further inform the public of the mission of this great organization and the need to support it at this critical time."

And it is a critical time, with Texas law-makers attempting to institute an abortion ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy, similar to the abortion bills that have been passed in other red states.

According to their website, there are 56 Planned Parenthood locations in Texas, and according to this chart, the organization spends about 1.1 billion annually on 11.4 million services, 83% of which is spent on research, client services and education. Client services are divided into six categories: Cancer Prevention and Screenings, STI Testing, Contraception, Abortion Services, Other Women's Health Services & Other Services. According to Planned Parenthood financial statements from 2009 – 2011, 86% of Planned Parenthood's Services fall under the categories of Cancer Prevention and Screenings (12-16%), STI Testing for men and women (35-41%), and Contraception (32-35%). Only about 3% of its services fall under the Abortion category nationally; additionally, Planned Parenthood is already prohibited form spending federal funds on abortion services anyway. This leads to the inevitable question; if Planned Parenthood spends the majority of its money on Cancer Prevention, Contraception, Family Planning, STI Testing, and Education, why are so many Republican politicians fighting to destroy its capacity to provide these services? Why are there not more Republicans – especially female Republicans – using their common sense, and fighting instead to keep Planned Parenthood in business?