Lawmakers in the House and Senate have introduced legislation to cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood in the wake of two undercover videos sparking concern about the organization’s abortion practices.
Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., introduced the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, and Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., offered corresponding legislation in the Senate.
In a speech on the House floor, Black said, “Planned Parenthood has blood on its hands.”
“Over the last week, we’ve seen multiple videos showing its employees brazenly discussing the harvesting of aborted babies’ tissue and organs. But the truth is, Planned Parenthood’s culture of depravity runs much deeper than a couple of videos,” Black said.
Black was referencing two undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress depicting two Planned Parenthood senior executives, Dr. Deborah Nucatola and Dr. Mary Gatter, discussing the price “per specimen” of fetal organs such as hearts, lungs and livers.
In several statements, Planned Parenthood called the videos “heavily edited” and denied that they profit from their “tissue donation” program.
Black said that “Planned Parenthood doesn’t empower women—it deceives them at their most difficult and vulnerable moments.”
“It values convenience over truth and profit over life,” Black said.
Black, a nurse, said she has “seen the big-abortion-industry’s shameful tactics with my own eyes.”
“That is why, for two years now, I’ve sponsored the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act to address one of Planned Parenthood’s largest government revenue streams. I continue to urge passage of this legislation, but in light of these latest videos, we must take the fight a step further,” Black said.
Black said she introduced the Defund Planned Parenthood Act in order to cut federal funds to Planned Parenthood “while Congress carries out a full investigation.”
“I eagerly await the findings of this forthcoming investigation, but you know what, Mister Speaker? No matter what it reveals, here’s the truth—Planned Parenthood has made a business out of destroying that which God has created,” Black said. “It performs over 327,000 abortions a year, all while receiving roughly $500 million in annual funding from the taxpayer dollar. The one-sided relationship between Planned Parenthood’s ever-growing bank account and American taxpayers must be severed.”
In a statement, Lankford said “the recent videos uncovering Planned Parenthood’s inhumane abortion practices have hit a nerve with many Americans.”
“While the government investigates Planned Parenthood to determine if their practice of adapting their abortion procedures to harvest the organs of children violates federal law, they should not continue to receive taxpayer money,” Lankford said. “Planned Parenthood receives more than $500 million in taxpayer money every year.”
“This is a sensitive topic for many, and I am aware our nation is divided on the issue of abortion, but it is common sense that we shouldn’t force taxpayers to assist the harvesting of human organs,” Lankford added.
An amendment has been introduced in the Senate that would also defund Planned Parenthood.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced an amendment to the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015 that would prevent $500 million of taxpayer funding each year from going to Planned Parenthood.
In a statement, Paul vowed to use “all legislative vehicles” to “defeat and defund Planned Parenthood.”
“The continued disregard and disrespect for human life at Planned Parenthood, a partially taxpayer-funded organization, is shocking and appalling. Recent video revelations, involving potentially criminal activity, make it more obvious than ever that this organization has absolutely zero respect for the sanctity of human life and is an affront to the most basic human dignity enshrined in our founding documents. Not one more taxpayer dollar should go to Planned Parenthood, and I intend to make that goal a reality,” Paul said.
