{"id":252649,"date":"2021-09-06T12:38:04","date_gmt":"2021-09-06T17:38:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=252649"},"modified":"2021-09-05T22:21:01","modified_gmt":"2021-09-06T03:21:01","slug":"lyft-uber-oppose-heartbeat-texas-planned-parenthood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/lyft-uber-oppose-heartbeat-texas-planned-parenthood\/","title":{"rendered":"Lyft and Uber oppose Texas Heartbeat Act, as Lyft pledges $1M to Planned Parenthood"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In the fiery backlash surrounding Wednesday’s enactment of the Texas Heartbeat Act<\/a>, ridesharing companies Lyft and Uber have both spoken out against the new law, pledging to support any of their drivers who may be subject to a lawsuit for transporting a woman to an abortion facility. In addition, Lyft pledged to give one million dollars\u00a0<\/em>to Planned Parenthood and asked its drivers to also lend their monetary support to the abortion giant.<\/p>\n

The recent Texas law, the nation’s most pro-life legislation, prohibits abortions once a heartbeat can be detected, which usually occurs around six weeks gestation (four weeks post-fertilization), though the heart begins beating between 16 and 22 days after fertilization. The law is unique in that it allows citizens to sue anyone who aids or abets in the procurement of an abortion, except for the mother herself. The ridesharing companies interpret this to mean that their drivers could be sued for knowingly or unknowingly giving a ride to a woman to an abortion facility where she receives an abortion.<\/p>\n

Lyft announced its intentions in a statement<\/a> to its riders and drivers on Friday:<\/p>\n

A new Texas law, SB8, threatens to punish drivers for getting people where they need to go\u00a0\u2014\u00a0specifically, women exercising their right to choose and to access the healthcare they need.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

We want to be clear: Drivers are never responsible for monitoring where their riders go or why. Imagine being a driver and not knowing if you are breaking the law by giving someone a ride. Similarly, riders never have to justify, or even share, where they are going and why. Imagine being a pregnant woman trying to get to a healthcare appointment and not knowing if your driver will cancel on you for fear of breaking a law. Both are completely unacceptable.<\/em><\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Attorney who helps minors get abortions says Planned Parenthood pays Uber to secretly pick them up<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In response to the law, Lyft has created a Driver Defense Fund to cover 100% of the legal fees should any driver be sued while transporting a “pregnant woman trying to get a healthcare appointment” (i.e, an abortion).<\/p>\n

Shortly after the Lyft announcement, Uber CEO\u00a0Dara Khosrowshahi took to Twitter to pledge his company’s support as well.\u00a0\u201cDrivers shouldn\u2019t be put at risk for getting people where they want to go. Team @Uber is in too and will cover legal fees in the same way. Thanks for the push,\u201d he tweeted<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Uber was already reported to have\u00a0transported minors to abortion appointments<\/a>, and even fired one of its drivers<\/a> for refusing to transport a woman to Planned Parenthood.<\/p>\n

While both companies were arguably egregious in using their public platform to publicly express support for abortion, Lyft took the move a step further by pledging one million dollars to Planned Parenthood. It also requested that its drivers and riders donate to the nation’s largest abortion provider.<\/p>\n

Despite Planned Parenthood’s claim that it is a “trusted health care provider,” it is in fact an organization that promotes abortion over all else, was founded by a racist<\/a>, and which has been accused<\/a> by employees<\/a> of\u00a0present-day racism<\/a>. Former Planned Parenthood staffers have gone on record to verify that the corporation ignores and downplays the importance of actual health care<\/a>. In fact, a Live Action News report<\/a> earlier this year revealed that while the mainstream media touts Planned Parenthood as a staple in women’s healthcare, only 3% of women of reproductive age actually use its services<\/em>. Despite this tiny margin, the corporation commits a whopping 41%<\/strong> of all abortions every year.\u00a0And while Lyft is pledging its money to the organization, a look at financial records makes it clear that Planned Parenthood doesn’t need it. The taxpayer-funded abortion giant raked in $110 million in excess revenue<\/a> for the 2018-2019 fiscal year alone.<\/p>\n

It isn’t only preborn children who are at risk of harm at the hands of Planned Parenthood. Live Action has video evidence of several Planned Parenthood locations covering up sex abuse, offering abortions to young girls while failing to act on the knowledge that these girls were impregnated by much older men (statutory rape, which they are required by law to report, but didn’t). There have also been lawsuits filed against the corporation for\u00a0failing to report<\/a> sex abuse and knowingly sent sex abuse victims<\/a> back to their abusers following an abortion.<\/p>\n