“Once Planned Parenthood is stripped of its tax funding, we will see their abortion clinics close down like a row of falling dominoes.”

New research shows the number of abortion facilities in America continues to decline, reports Operation Rescue. That trend, says the pro-life group, is evident in data collected in the past two months since Operation Rescue released a report that showed that over two-thirds of the nation’s abortion clinics have closed in the past 18 years.

During the past two months, the group reports that five more abortion clinics have closed.

When Project Daniel 5:25 was released last December listing every abortion clinic in the United States, records showed 713 locations. Since then five abortion facilities have closed, although two more have opened, bringing the number down to 710.

Both of the new abortion mills are Planned Parenthood “super-centers” built with the help of state and federal tax dollars and located in Houston, Texas, and Portland, Oregon.

“It is very clear that the only abortion group expanding its business is Planned Parenthood, and the only reason it can do so is with the help of our tax dollars,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.

Newman said the news “emphasizes the need to defund Planned Parenthood nationwide.” “Without being artificially supported with our tax dollars, Planned Parenthood would be closing clinics, not building new ones,” he said.

The protests directed at the new facilities suggest that they enjoy little support in their respective communities. When the Houston clinic opened last month, it was to a massive protest of several thousand of pro-lifers. Also last month, over 3,000 pro-life supporters gathered in the rain to protest at the new Portland office and were countered by a mere 125 abortion supporters.

While recent pro-life efforts have at least temporarily blocked tax-funded abortions in the health care system, Planned Parenthood alone receives over $336.7 million dollars each year in federal tax money through other programs. And that figure does not count funding its affiliates receive from the states.

In recent months Planned Parenthood has come under fire for illegal activity exposed by undercover sting operations in several states. Just last week, a Planned Parenthood in Birmingham, Alabama, was placed on probation for violations discovered and reported by Live Action Films. In Kansas, the Planned Parenthood affiliate faces 107 criminal charges for illegal abortions and falsifying records to cover them up.

“It is despicable that at a time of economic instability, when 71% of the American people oppose tax-funding of abortion, that millions and millions in public funds are going to bolster the bottom line of abortionists, many of which are violating the law,” said Newman.

“Once Planned Parenthood is stripped of its tax funding, we will see their abortion clinics close down like a row of falling dominoes. That is a short-term goal for the pro-life movement that is completely doable and will save countless lives,” said Newman.