Sen. Paul: Senate will vote on fed aid to Planned Parenthood

Several Republican presidential hopefuls have called for federal funding to be stripped from Planned Parenthood, and Democrats, such as California Attorney General Kamala Harris, are reviewing the group behind the videos to see whether any state laws were violated.

“They can go ahead and do that but we’re not going to agree with it because we know it’s taking a life”, said Lindgren, who spearheaded Santa Maria’s rally.

There’s a growing chorus of voices calling for an in-depth investigation into whether Planned Parenthood sells aborted fetal tissue for profit.

“In 2011, we defunded I think about $64 million for Planned Parenthood, that’s when you saw a wave of clinics close because they weren’t seeing state subsidies anymore”, says Horne.

Planned Parenthood offers cancer screening, contraceptives, infant mortality programming and family planning services, said NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio director Kellie Copeland.

Protesters gathered in Pike Township to call for the state to fully defund Planned Parenthood. “It is unfortunate that anti-abortion organizations are continuing a smear campaign against Planned Parenthood and their patients in California”.

The rally, one of dozens planned by anti-abortion activists in cities across the country, drew about 200 people.

The organization has come under scrutiny since the release of two secretly recorded videos earlier this month that critics said showed it was involved in the illegal sale of aborted fetal tissue for medical research.

“They’re about money, they’re about profit, and they’re not about care and compassion”, added Guerin, president of UB’s Students for Life.

Paul reportedly has 80 co-sponsors for his bill to take away funding for the organization. But the revelation of fetal tissue donation has been met with outrage.

“Planned Parenthood does not deserve another dime of our taxes”.

Federal law prohibits the commercial sale of fetal tissue, but it does allow the not-for-profit donation of tissue if the women who underwent abortions give their consent. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, and Dr. Ben Carson-showed up in the blazing heat at the #WomenBetrayed rally to demand Planned Parenthood be defunded immediately and investigated for possible criminal actions.