Evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham, son of famed Rev. Billy Graham, announced Tuesday that he is quitting the Republican Party and becoming an independent due to the inclusion of Planned Parenthood funding in the GOP's spending bill passed last week.
"Shame on the Republicans and Democrats for passing such a wasteful spending bill last week. And to top it off, funding for Planned Parenthood!" Graham, who leads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, wrote on Facebook.
"Seeing and hearing Planned Parenthood talk nonchalantly about selling baby parts from aborted fetuses with utter disregard for human life is reminiscent of Joseph Mengele and the Nazi concentration camps!" he wrote, referring to undercover videos that showed Planned Parenthood officials discussing the harvesting of baby organs. "That should've been all that was needed to turn off the faucet for their funding. Nothing was done to trim this 2,000 page, $1.1 trillion budget."
Following the release of the videos, many on the far right called for Congress to halt the $528 million in taxpayer money that goes to Planned Parenthood each year, even though federal law bars the organization from using tax dollars to fund abortions, according to The Washington Times. The budget deal not only funded Planned Parenthood, but also financed sanctuary cities, Obamacare, climate change and refugee resettlement programs, and it included an increase in foreign worker visas, Newsmax noted.
Graham, who has expressed admiration for Republican presidential contender Donald Trump, said that he no longer has faith that political parties know what is best for the country.
"I have no hope in the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, or tea party to do what is best for America. Unless more godly men and women get in this process and change this wicked system, our country is in for trouble," he wrote, calling on "Christians, even pastors, across the country to pray about running for office where they can have an impact."
"We need mayors, county commissioners, city council members, school board members who will uphold biblical values."
