News

Meadows joins effort to defund Planned Parenthood

By Lightning Reports, Published: July 21, 2015

Following the release of videos showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of aborted human body parts, U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) signed on as co-sponsor of a bill that would eliminate taxpayer funding for abortion providers under Title X.

On Tuesday, the Center for Medical Progress released a second undercover video showing a senior-level Planned Parenthood official discussing making a profit off of the sale of the body parts of aborted babies. Under Title X, Planned Parenthood for America received $1.2 billion in funding from Medicaid over a 3 year period, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

“I am appalled not only by the horrific content of these undercover videos, but also by the callous disregard for the sanctity of human life and the wellbeing of the mother demonstrated by these abortion providers," Meadows said in a statement. "Not a single penny of taxpayer dollars should go toward an organization that engages in these unconscionable practices."

“In addition to cutting funding for abortion providers, I strongly urge Congress to investigate the legality of the practices engaged in by Planned Parenthood,” Meadows added. “The U.S. has strict laws against trafficking and selling human body parts. Additionally, the first of these videos seems to indicate that the abortion provider conducted partial-birth abortion to preserve organs for sale, which is illegal in the U.S.,” Meadows added.

“I truly believe that every American, regardless of their stance on abortion, would be shaken to their core by these videos, which display an utter lack of human decency,” he said. “I am deeply disturbed by these horrifying videos. I pray for the soul of our nation.”