Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Over-the-top outrage is the emotion of the day for Republicans as they respond to the latest misleading, heavily edited video attacking Planned Parenthood. The video shows Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood's senior director of medical services, talking about voluntary fetal tissue donation and the reimbursements for the costs of doing that. It's being depicted as some lurid plot to sell bodies, but really it's ... organ donation. You know, like you can register to donate your own organs when you renew your driver's license?
But it's abortion, so rather than "women who choose abortion, as is their right and none of my business, then have the right to choose to donate fetal tissue," here's what Republicans are saying:
“When an organization monetizes an unborn child — and with the cavalier attitude portrayed in this horrific video — we must all act,” House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement. “As a start, I have asked our relevant committees to look into this matter. I am also calling on President Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to denounce, and stop, these gruesome practices.”
I'd venture a guess that all organ and tissue donation is gruesome, but it didn't stop Dick Cheney from getting a heart transplant and I'm betting if he needs one, it won't stop John Boehner from getting a liver transplant. For that matter, medicine is gruesome, full stop. And heavily monetized—much more heavily than reimbursement for the costs of tissue donation.
“I am sickened by the complete disregard for innocent unborn life evident at Planned Parenthood. I’m proud that one of my first actions in the Senate was voting to defund this organization,” Marco Rubio told POLITICO.
Translation: I hate Planned Parenthood and oppose women's reproductive rights as I always have. Nothing has changed.
Ted Cruz released a statement calling the video “sickening” and urged Congress to begin an investigation into the Center for Medical Progress’ allegations.
“There is no place for taxpayer funding of organizations that profit from taking away innocent life, much less profiting off the bodies of the lives they have stolen,” Cruz said. “It should renew efforts to fully defund Planned Parenthood to ensure that its morally bankrupt business receives not one penny of taxpayer money.”
Yes, we must prevent this morally bankrupt business from providing birth control, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and cancer screenings—you know, the things Planned Parenthood does with government funding. All this outrage is as dishonest as the edited video that prompted it. It's just a new news hook to hang the same old claims on.
