Millions of Americans have now seen the disturbing videos showing Planned Parenthood officials talking about the harvesting and selling of fetal organs after abortions. To those who haven’t seen the video, I encourage you to watch. But, be forewarned that it is pretty sickening.
In the first video, we heard Dr. Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood’s senior director for medical services, admitting — in fact bragging — about how their providers can kill babies in such a way that their tiny hearts and lungs can be taken out and put on the market.
To quote Dr. Nucatola:
“We’ve been very good at getting heart, lung, liver … so I’m not gonna crush that part,”
“I’m gonna basically crush below, I’m gonna crush above, and I’m gonna see if I can get it all intact.”
The callous and casual way she discusses crushing an unborn baby — over salad and wine no less — is horrifying. It is honestly hard to believe a human being could bring herself to believe this is okay. Not to mention, the scheme discussed is completely illegal. Trafficking human organs is against federal law.
Planned Parenthood responded by forcefully and categorically denying that the organization sells the body parts of aborted babies for profit. The “tone” of Dr. Nucatola used was unfortunate, they said; otherwise, there’s nothing to see here.
Then, another video surfaced showing a different senior official at Planned Parenthood discussing the sale of fetal parts. This time Dr. Mary Gatter, president of Planned Parenthood’s Medical Director’s Council, is shown negotiating prices for “tissue” and even joking about how they needed to settle soon on prices by saying, “I want a Lamborghini.” And, like Nucatola, she described “a less crunchy technique” of killing the baby while preserving organs, “to get more whole specimens.”
Once again, the candid words of a top Planned Parenthood official belie the public spin from its public relations team. These doctors definitely sound like those who know there’s a competitive black market at play and are willing to engage in illegal activity to tap into it.
What we haven’t heard from Planned Parenthood is a response to perhaps the biggest revelation: That its providers alter abortion procedures in order to gain certain parts that are in demand — a practice that is also illegal.
This is what Dr. Nucatola referred to as “crushing” here and “not crushing” there to make sure certain parts of the baby are preserved. While we wait to hear from Planned Parenthood, Dr. Gatter had plenty to say on this subject in the latest video. She discusses deliberately and actively breaking the rules to obtain “intact” organs. In fact, she acknowledges that protocol does not allow for altering the method of an abortion, but that’s a “specious little argument” not to be concerned about.
I’ve been very outspoken about this issue alongside my pro-life colleagues in the House and Senate, because we cannot allow the media to sweep it under the rug. These revelations warrant a serious investigation, even a criminal one. The attorney general said that the Department of Justice is going to “review” the matter, but I’m not holding my breath.
We have to continue holding their feet to the fire. I will continue to push for an investigation into Planned Parenthood so that we can get to the bottom of this. If they’ve done nothing wrong, then they will have no problem complying with an investigation. In fact, they should welcome it.
Legislatively, pro-life members of Congress are highlighting the need to further protect the unborn under the law and to stop taxpayer dollars from flowing to Planned Parenthood.
Members are rallying behind my friend Rep. Diane Black’s bill to specifically and immediately prohibit federal funding from flowing to Planned Parenthood. Actually, Diane and I have worked together each Congress to sponsor legislation taking away Title X funds from Planned Parenthood, so I was proud to co-sponsor this latest legislation as well.
I hope the bill can get some traction and be in position to pass this year. This organization claims an unborn child isn’t a life, yet its providers are apparently eager to harvest baby lungs, hearts and livers to put on the market. Americans shouldn’t be forced to have their tax dollars support Planned Parenthood, and we’ll keep fighting to make that so.
We also will be highlighting the need to enact a restriction on late-term abortions after 5 months, or 20 weeks, of pregnancy. The House passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in May, and we are urging our Senate counterparts to take it up and send it to President Obama.
More broadly, I believe this is an important moment for our culture.
Rarely are Americans confronted with the gruesome realities of the abortion industry. I believe this is a moment when we, as a people, must ask ourselves who we really are. Are we going to tolerate this inhumanity and look the other way while babies’ lungs, hearts and livers are valued more than their very lives? Or will we finally stand up as a society and reject this casual devaluing of human life?
Martha Roby is the U.S. Representative for Alabama’s 2nd congressional district. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
