Planned Parenthood Ends Fetal Tissue Sales

The president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America said on Oct. 13 that the organization’s clinics will no longer accept reimbursement for fetal tissue procured in abortions and provided to researchers. Cecile Richards said the decision was made “to completely debunk” a series of 11 videos released in recent weeks by the Center for Medical Progress showing physicians and others associated with Planned Parenthood describing the harvesting of fetal tissue and body parts during abortions at their clinics. The resulting controversy has prompted investigations by state and federal officials. Planned Parenthood receives more than $500 million of its $1.3 billion annual budget from federal and state programs. “While Richards extols the wonderfulness of the nation’s largest abortion provider, it begs the question raised in House committee hearings: Why shouldn’t federal family planning money go to federally qualified health centers which don’t perform abortions?” said Dave Andrusko, editor of National Right to Life News.