Washington D.C., Jun 26, 2008 / 10:45 pm (CNA).- A coalition of African-American pastors and other pro-lifers marched on the headquarters of both major American political parties in Washington on Thursday to demand that the party committees and party candidates for office refuse the $10 million that Planned Parenthood has said it will spend to influence the 2008 elections.

Decrying what they called its “philosophy of prenatal murder in the black community,” the marchers also demanded that Planned Parenthood be stripped of its $350 million in taxpayer funding it receives each year.

The marchers visited the headquarters of both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee. They were led by Day Gardner of the National Black Pro-Life Union and Dr. Alveda King, who is a niece of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Pastor Stephen Broden of Fair Park Bible Fellowship, speaking at a press conference, described the goal of the march:

“We find it a conflict of interest that Planned Parenthood receives federal funding and with that funding it contributes to Republican and Democratic candidates who support their philosophy of prenatal murder in the black community. Congress gives money to Planned Parenthood and Planned Parenthood in return gives the money to pro-abortion candidates. There’s something rotten in the halls of Congress.”

In April, several African-American pastors, student leaders and activists publicly asked Congress to de-fund Planned Parenthood after several videos were released showing Planned Parenthood employees accepting contributions from actors posing as explicitly racist donors.

Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director at Students for Life of America, said the $350 million that Planned Parenthood receives in taxpayer funding composes more than one third of its $1 billion budget.

“It is completely and utterly wrong for our leaders to step aside while Planned Parenthood continues to take money specified to abort black babies.  This must stop now,” Hawkins said.

After the march’s press conference, many of the pastors met with members of Congress, including Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA) and Congressman Sanford Bishop (D-GA).

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