Emails, Drew Brandewie, communications director, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s office, Aug. 3-4, 2015

From: Brandewie, Drew (Cornyn)

Sent: Monday, August 03, 2015 7:28 PM

To: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)

Subject: RE: Inquiry for a fact check

The data comes from p. 18 (# of abortions) and p. 21 (federal funding) of Planned Parenthood’s annual report. Because the timeframe for the data is inconsistent and presented in a confusing way in the report, and it’s ambiguous as to whether or not federal funding is being directly used for or indirectly subsidizing abortions, Sen. Cornyn clarified this tweet this evening.

Thanks,

Drew

From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)

Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2015 12:56 PM

To: Brandewie, Drew (Cornyn)

Subject: RE: Inquiry for a fact check

It looks to me like Sen. Cornyn deleted the original tweet as well. When/why?

12:19 p.m.

Aug. 4, 2015

Yes, because the timeframe for the data is inconsistent and presented in a confusing way in the Planned Parenthood report and it’s ambiguous as to whether or not federal funding is being directly used for or indirectly subsidizing abortions. He clarified in the later tweet.

From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)

Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2015 1:27 PM

To: Brandewie, Drew (Cornyn)

Subject: Following up

The annual report says the timeframe is July 2013 through June 2014, or do I misread? I see the new tweet says the abortions occurred in one year, the spending in another. I also didn’t see any indication in the report the money was being spent on abortions. Did you?

Cornyn’s new tweet doesn’t track with his morning declaration that the spending violated the Hyde Amendment. Does he still believe this? If so, what’s the factual basis? If not, why not?

Separately, I heard back by email from Liz Clark, a Planned Parenthood spokeswoman, who said: “The vast majority of public funding that Planned Parenthood receives is reimbursement for providing care to patients enrolled in Medicaid--2.2 million patient-visits a year. The rest helps provide basic, preventive care for low-income and uninsured women who have nowhere else to go; and goes toward important programs like teen pregnancy prevention and evidence-based sex education.”

Clark also said: “All government funds that Planned Parenthood affiliates receive are restricted for specific purposes. No federal funds can be used for abortion—with the rare exception of Medicaid funds in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the woman is in jeopardy (in accordance with federal law). As a high-quality health care provider, Planned Parenthood fully complies with this restriction and all federal and state laws and regulations.”

Does this seem accurate? Any recommended experts/sources?

I have asked her and I am asking you if you have a sense of the history of the funding for health services that has gone to Planned Parenthood over the years. Does Congress play a major role? Is such aid folded into past budgets? If so, did Sen. Cornyn support those appropriations?

g.

12:39 p.m.

The page previous to the abortion #s, p. 17, says at the top “2013” meaning the Affiliate Medical Services Data below are for calendar year 2013. The funding numbers on p. 19 indicate it is over PP’s fiscal year, 2013-2014. It is confusing, hence his clarification.