Planned Parenthood rejects Ivanka Trump's advice to create separate organization to avoid defunding

Ivanka Trump attends U.S. President Donald Trump's strategy and policy forum with chief executives of major U.S. companies at the White House in Washington, U.S. February 3, 2017. | Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

Planned Parenthood has reportedly rejected Ivanka Trump's advice to create a separate organization that performs abortions so that it could continue receiving its taxpayer funding.

Politico reported last month that Ivanka met privately with Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards shortly after her father, Donald Trump, took office.

During the meeting, Ivanka suggested that Planned Parenthood should be split into two organizations, with a smaller arm that provides abortions and a larger one dedicated to providing women's health services.

Planned Parenthood officials called Ivanka's proposal "naive" and said that she has failed to understand that reproductive choice is central to the organization's mission, according to The New York Times.

Richards also criticized Ivanka for not publicly opposing the Republican health care bill that failed in March.

A White House official said that Ivanka was instrumental in preserving and increasing funding for women's health in the government spending deal that was devised over the weekend. However, there are concerns about a new bill that aims to repeal the Affordable Care Act as it would likely include a provision that would cut off Planned Parenthood's funding.

During the campaign period, President Trump had repeatedly vowed to defund Planned Parenthood unless it quits performing abortions. In March, he made an informal offer to the organization to allow it to keep its funding if it stops providing abortion services.

The offer was rejected by Planned Parenthood officials who maintained that abortion was an integral component of its services.

"Offering money to Planned Parenthood to abandon our patients and our values is not a deal that we will ever accept. Providing critical health care services for millions of American women is nonnegotiable," Planned Parenthood Federation of America Executive Vice President Dawn Laguens stated in March.

American Life League President Judie Brown asserted that Planned Parenthood's rejection of the offer signified that it only cares about abortion.

"Planned Parenthood's president, Cecile Richards, is convinced that abortion is so sacred that the organization is willing to give up government subsidies rather than stop its deadly 'service,'" Brown said at the time.

"Planned Parenthood is dehumanizing women and their babies by offering anything but selfless support for expectant mothers. Nobody can ever say again that Planned Parenthood's income is its priority. Killing is number one for this organization!" she went on to say.