Barbaric harvesting of baby parts means federal funding must stop

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia—Since 1970, Congress has been funding Planned Parenthood—providing taxpayer dollars to the nation’s largest abortion provider.

Planned Parenthood received more than $525-million dollars in taxpayer funds in the most recent calendar year. For years, many in the pro-life movement have opposed such funding —funding that forces taxpayers to subsidize the abortion industry that they believe violates the most fundamental of all human rights and moral principles —the right to life. But now with the revelation of Planned Parenthood’s most gruesome “side” business of harvesting and selling the body parts of dead babies, there is a growing outcry across the country and in Congress to stop sending Planned Parenthood hundreds of millions of dollars a year in taxpayer funds. By Planned Parenthood’s own admission, it performs nearly 330,000 abortions a year. But what we are just now discovering—thanks to a pro-life investigative journalism group—is very disturbing and represents the most powerful reason yet to pull the plug on taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. The investigative reports reveal through undercover videos the harvesting of babies’ arms, legs, and even eyeballs. All of the body parts are distinct and separate and picked apart.

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In one video, the discussion focuses on the sale of an entire baby— “intact fetal cadavers” as the abortionist calls it. Even more disturbing, evidence that in at least one case it appears that the technicians removed the brain while the baby’s heart was still beating. A former employee of StemExpress, one of the tissue companies that worked with Planned Parenthood, tells the investigative journalists: “She just taps the heart and it starts beating,” said Holly O’Donnell. “Since the fetus was so intact, O’Donnell said, ‘Oh, this is a really good fetus, it looks like we can procure a lot from it. We’re going to procure brain.’” It gets worse. The intact baby’s brain is harvested by cutting the baby’s head open through its face. Apparently these techniques and tactics proved to be too much even for StemExpress, which cut ties with Planned Parenthood as a result of these revelations. “We value our various partnerships but, due to the increased questions that have arisen over the past few weeks, we feel it prudent to terminate activities with Planned Parenthood,” the company said in a statement. This outrageous “side” business provides Planned Parenthood with another very lucrative revenue stream. It’s been reported that one Planned Parenthood branch in Texas made about $120,000 a month selling aborted babies’ body parts and organs. That’s nearly one-and-a-half million dollars a year from just one office engaged in this gruesome business practice. As you might expect, Planned Parenthood is trying to downplay this horrific scandal. They claim the undercover videos are deceptive. And they are trying their best to implement a strategy of deflection. They are even targeting the investigative journalists who brought this horrendous business practice to light. But the American people aren’t buying Planned Parenthood’s “spin” tactics. There are numerous groups more deserving of our tax dollars that are ready, willing and able to provide needed medical services to women and children without engaging in hundreds of thousands abortions and the harvesting of babies’ organs. Here’s the bottom line: the American people—the American taxpayers —deserve the truth. That’s why Congress has launched an investigation into Planned Parenthood’s actions. And that is exactly why Congress must bring an end to sending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars a year to this abortion giant. Enough is enough. Congress must vote to defund Planned Parenthood. Not another dime should go to this group that proudly engages in and defends these barbaric practices. Jay Sekulow is Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which focuses on constitutional law, and a New York Times bestselling author. Readers may write him at ACLJ, PO Box 90555, Washington, DC 20090-0555