Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. Agency for International Development
Federal Reporter 915: 59-66
1990
PMID: 11648399 Document Number: 566469
Planned Parenthood challenged the implementation of an executive branch policy by the Agency for International Development restricting federal assistance to foreign family planning organizations that perform or promote abortions, alleging violations of its rights to speech, association, and privacy. The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the funding conditions. The court stated that the government is under no obligation to subsidize the exercise of a fundamental right, because the mere refusal to subsidize places no governmental obstacle in the path of someone seeking to excercise that right. Planned Parenthood may use its own funds to pursue whatever abortion-related activities it wishes in foreign countries.