Though illegal, there has been widespread taxpayer-funded abortion coverage under Obamacare, according to a new investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

According to the investigation, taxpayer funding is going toward over 1,000 health insurance plans that include abortion even though such funding is illegal under the law and was promised by Obamacare advocates that it would not occur. The investigation found that 15 insurance companies out of a sample of 18 are selling Obamacare plans using the same funds to cover abortions from the healthcare overhaul’s subsidies.

Under Obamacare, insurers must collect separate funds from customers for abortion coverage so that taxpayer money is not used to subsidize abortions.

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), who has been a staunch advocate against the use of taxpayer money to fund abortions, called the findings of the investigation “tragic.”

“It’s tragic and completely unacceptable that this funding is going towards abortions,” Vitter said. “It should come as no surprise that President Obama and Democrats in Congress would mislead the American people about yet another aspect of Obamacare – but this time it comes at the expense of millions of unborn children.”

At Vitter’s request, the GAO is investigating the use of federal funding allocated to Planned Parenthood and other specific organizations that perform abortions.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus slammed Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and other democrats who helped pass Obamacare and for continuing to claim that the healthcare overhaul would not pay for abortions using taxpayer money.

“For years Republicans have warned that ObamaCare would force taxpayers to support elective abortions, while the White House continued to hide behind bureaucracy and evade transparency when pressed on whether they were keeping their promise,” said Priebus. “House Republicans even passed legislation to fix this exact problem in a law filled with broken promises and hidden agendas. Instead of being part of the solution, Democrats like Mary Landrieu, Mark Pryor and Kay Hagan helped Harry Reid stand in the way of House legislation to prevent taxpayer dollars from covering abortions under ObamaCare.”

In 2012, Planned Parenthood performed a record 327,166 abortions and received $540 million in taxpayer funding – nearly $1.5 million per day in the form of government grants, contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements. Vitter has authored legislation that would end taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood.