New Jersey governor vetoes budget funding for Planned Parenthood

“Let me be clear – New Jersey is only going to spend the money we have.”

Part of the budget revisions included a veto $7.5 million from clinics that provide family planning—including Planned Parenthood—and restoring $4.6 million to Federal Qualified Health Centers that was originally slated to be cut.

Planned Parenthood has been the subject of controversy in the state over improper billing practices and failure to comply with health and safety regulations.

Last August, the U.S. Inspector General's Audits from 2001-2005 cited the organization for improperly billing Medicaid $597,000 for family planning services which the state had to repay.

In March of this year, the Planned Parenthood facility in Mercer County was inspected by the New Jersey Department of Health, which issued a 39-page deficiency report for non-compliance with health and safety regulations.

Adding to the organization's woes in the state, a clinic worker at the Perth Amboy Planned Parenthood was caught on tape in February offering assistance to undercover activists posing as sex traffickers and claiming to employ girls as young as 13 years-old.

State Democrats including Senate President Stephen Sweeney criticized the budget on July 1 as “cruel and mean-spirited.”

Although Democratic leaders are planning to challenge some of the reductions, they will need a two-thirds majority to override the individual line item vetoes. This will require a vote that will need the unlikely support of state Republicans.

“We are not going to revert back to business as usual and undo all the progress that has been made,” Gov. Christie said on June 30. “The actions I have taken today reinforce a commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars.”