Planned Parenthood to pay its own fetal tissue costs

In a letter sent to the National Institutes of Health, Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, announced that clinics affiliated with Planned Parenthood will no longer be in the business of selling aborted fetal remains to medical research companies. As the Two-Way reported, the hearing lasted for five hours, with a few of the most contentious line of questioning coming from Republicans who questioned whether the organization should continue to receive federal funding. These groups, like Carolina Students for Life, might be well-intentioned, but they are, ultimately, perpetuating a culture that devalues female autonomy and the medical needs of many low-income people.

The anti-abortion activists who released the videos say they prove that Planned Parenthood was trying to profit from the fetal tissue program. “But deciding not to accept reimbursement for any processing or handling would effectively end the lying about what PP is and has been doing”.

Thus far, none of the congressional investigations, nor separate investigations in six states, have verified any law-breaking by Planned Parenthood. The group now says it also will not accept the expense money, even though US law permits such reimbursement.

Richards states that while the organization’s receipt of compensation for the tissue specimens was “fully legal, appropriate and common among health care providers”, the organization will cover its own costs involved with the donations. Only about a half dozen of Planned Parenthood’s 700 USA health centers participate in the fetal tissue program.

“The CMP videos exposed the fact that every cent [Planned Parenthood] received in so-called “reimbursement” was, in fact, profit”, said Mr. Newman, who is on the board of CMP.

In a video released on August 19, for example, O’Donnell, recalls encountering “fetuses” that still had beating hearts.

“Faced with overwhelming opposition by Americans of all political backgrounds, Planned Parenthood announced today that its clinics will no longer sell the tissue of unborn babies”, said Sen. “Today’s announcement by Planned Parenthood is meaningless and does not settle any controversy. This policy takes away the smokescreen that extremists have been using to attack Planned Parenthood and lays bare their real agenda”. Video Daleiden posted online was reportedly determined to be altered by forensic investigators.

Planned Parenthood’s executive vice president Dawn Laguens said in an interview Tuesday that she hopes the policy change will force the Center for Medical Progress to wind down their attacks – or at least force them to change the conversation.

But as observed by The Hill, it is seemingly too late for that. The panel will have the power to obtain documents and testimony to determine if a criminal case is necessary.

No more. House Republican have launched a drive to deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood, even threatening a federal government shutdown over the issue. NAF makes no argument that the subpoena itself is infirm.

“For three months, Planned Parenthood has tried to pass off its baby-parts-for-money scheme as totally legitimate”, he said.

Orrick wrote, however, that the constitutional system and past precedent prevent him from interfering.

“This is a good, tangible result of the collective efforts of the House in investigating Planned Parenthood“, Chaffetz said.