[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 13139]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           PLANNED PARENTHOOD

  Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I wish to take a moment to express my 
disdain for the reprehensible actions of Planned Parenthood and my 
support for the defense of all the unborn babies subject to this 
group's immoral practices.
  Thanks to the Center for Medical Progress, the Nation has quickly 
been made aware that Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country 
have been modifying their abortion procedures for the specific purpose 
of preserving organs from the fetuses being aborted in exchange for 
compensation. In the video released this week, a former procurement 
technician explains how the procurement of certain body parts warrants 
a higher level of compensation, stating: ``If you can somehow procure a 
brain or a heart you're going to get more money than just [an . . .] 
umbilical cord.'' As a father of four, and a strong advocate for the 
sanctity of life, I am deeply disturbed by reports of these gruesome 
and inhumane actions.
  However, Planned Parenthood currently continues to receive funding 
from hard-working taxpayers, many of whom also find their practices 
deplorable. Between fiscal year 2010 and fiscal year 2012, Planned 
Parenthood received an average of $500 million per year, totaling $1.5 
billion. On top of these high levels of federal funding, Planned 
Parenthood has made a profit every year since 1987.
  Given our current fiscal climate and all our talk of the need to cut 
excessive and wasteful spending, there is no justification for 
continuing to subsidize their profitable venture with taxpayer dollars. 
It is time for big abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood to be 
investigated and defunded, and I have taken several actions to do just 
that.
  For the last three congresses, I have been the Senate sponsor of the 
title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act. Title X is a grant program 
that has unfortunately become a large subsidy for abortion providers 
that claim to provide family planning and women's health care services. 
My bill, S. 51, would prohibit the Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS) from providing this Federal funding to an entity or 
their affiliate that performs an abortion.
  I have also signed on to two letters regarding needed investigations 
into this matter. In one letter, I joined 49 fellow senators to request 
that Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell 
immediately begin a ``thorough review of the compliance of the 
Department and Planned Parenthood--one of the Department's grantees--
with all relevant and applicable Federal statutes, regulations, and 
other requirements.'' In a second letter, I joined 10 Senators in 
asking both Secretary Burwell and Attorney General Loretta Lynch to 
conduct a full investigation into Planned Parenthood to determine if 
the organization violated Federal law.
  Lastly, I am supporting a bill introduced by Senator Joni Ernst that 
would prohibit Planned Parenthood, or any of its affiliates, 
subsidiaries, successors, or clinics, from receiving any Federal funds. 
Instead, funds that are currently offered to Planned Parenthood would 
be available to other eligible entities to provide women's health care 
services, including diagnostic laboratory and radiology services, well-
child care, prenatal and postnatal care, immunizations, and cervical 
and breast cancer screenings.
  The sanctity of human life is a principle that Congress should 
proclaim at every opportunity. The time has come to respect the wishes 
of the majority of Americans who adamantly oppose using taxpayer 
dollars for abortions by denying Federal funds to these abortion 
providers. I strongly encourage the support of my fellow Senators on 
efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and protect unborn babies from 
being the target of these gruesome practices.

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