Pro-life advocacy group Live Action, joined with members of Congress, called Thursday for the ending of taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider.
“I hope that the sands of time blow over that Capitol dome before we ever give one more dime of taxpayer dollars to this insidious, deceptive, and evil enterprise,” said Rep. Trent Franks.
The Arizona Republican likened pro-Planned Parenthood talking points to “fake news” and “alternative facts.”
“Those of you in the media have had a lot of talk about fake news and alternative facts, and I would just say that, I can think of no organization in the recent history of the world that has deceived the world more than Planned Parenthood,” said Franks.
“The truth is, Planned Parenthood is the largest perpetrator or abortion in America, mercilessly killing some 300,000 human babies every year … and they want taxpayers to be forced to pay for it,” he added.
Planned Parenthood receives annually around half a billion dollars of taxpayer money.
“We’re borrowing money from China to fund Planned Parenthood to kill the future of America and it’s got to end,” said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. “If we fail to [defund Planned Parenthood] in this 115th Congress, then shame on us.”
Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., a nurse-turned-congresswoman, mentioned the Live Action videos. In one video, 92 separate Planned Parenthood clinics turned away women who were searching for prenatal care, while in another video, 65 Planned Parenthood clinics refused women who wanted an ultrasound.
“I have spent my career protecting the health of women, children, and families, but as we see in these investigative videos, Planned Parenthood is not about women’s health care, it’s an abortion enterprise,” Black said.
Black appealed to her fellow members of Congress to follow the voting trends of the American people.
“Last fall, Americans went to the polls and rejected Planned Parenthood’s callous extremism. Now it’s time for Congress to do the same,” Black said.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler, a Republican congresswoman from Missouri, outlined Planned Parenthood’s lack of adoption referrals, prenatal care, and ultrasounds for women seeking to carry their child to term.
“The mission of this organization is to take life, not provide health care for women and their children … two patients enter their clinics, and only one leaves alive,” Hartzler said.
Live Action, a pro-life investigative group, provides news on abortion issues to over 2 million social media followers.
Lila Rose, the president and founder of Live Action, hosted the press conference right outside the House of Representatives. In addition to Black, King, Franks, and Hartzler, Reps. Ann Wagner, R-Mo.; Jodey Arrington, R-Texas; Doug Lamborn, R-Colo.; and Robert Pittenger, R-N.C., attended.
This article has been corrected. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, did not attend the press conference.
