Obama Admin Breaks Federal Law, No Audits of Planned Parenthood Selling Aborted Babies Since 2007

With a fourth House hearing on Planned Parenthood and its sale of aborted baby body parts taking place in Congress today, new revelations indication the Obama administration apparently is breaking federal law by not conducting any oversight related to the abortion business’ obtaining and selling body parts of aborted babies.

The Obama administration has steadfastly defended Planned Parenthood and its taxpayer funding throughout the scandal exposing its sales of aborted babies and their body parts for research. In addition, the Obama administration has expanded federal funding for such research.

The federal government spent $19 million on research involving the body parts of aborted babies in 1999 at the end of the Clinton administration. Now, President Barack Obama has expanded that figure and the Obama administration currently spends $77 million in taxpayer funds to promote such research with aborted baby body parts via NIH, the National Institutes of Health.

SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must De-Fund Planned Parenthood Immediately

The Obama administration has already been exposed as partnering with the middlemen who purchase aborted babies and their body parts from Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics. According to the report in Politico, one of the biotech firms mentioned in the undercover videos identified as a fetal tissue supplier Planned Parenthood sold aborted babies to earned at least $300,000 from federal governmental agencies after selling fetal tissue to them. Officials say they are unsure if the specific fetal tissue sold to the Obama administration came from babies aborted at Planned Parenthood.

Now, new reports indicate the Obama administration is not obeying federal law, which requires it to exercise oversight over Planned Parenthood’s body parts business because it is receiving federal funds.

As a report in The Stream indicates: “Under the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should be performing audits on Planned Parenthood, since Planned Parenthood is involved in research on aborted fetuses and HHS is supporting its work with funding. Specifically, according to HHS’s own documents, ‘Section 498A of the Public Health Service Act [42 USC 289g-1] requires the annual submission to Congress of a report describing research involving therapeutic transplantation of human fetal tissue supported or conducted by the NIH.'”

But reporter Rachel Alexander indicates the Obama administration is not doing that and she points to redacted emails the news web site received under a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as proof:

Despite the terms of Section 498A of the Public Health Service Act, the audits are apparently not taking place.

The Stream filed its FOIA request with the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) of HHS in July, asking for documents and emails related to Planned Parenthood and the audits. OHRP is in charge of overseeing any research done on human fetuses. HHS initially responded partially on August 24, the deadline, saying they had no documents fitting the description of the public records that The Stream had requested. HHS did say that it would provide the requested emails after redacting them (more on those below).

Ultimately, the only documents turned over were the redacted emails and several letters from HHS to Congress stating that the National Institute of Health (another part of HHS) had no required reports to give Congress about research on transplanting human fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes because NIH hadn’t been involved with any such work. The letter stated that fiscal year 2007 was the last year HHS provided funding for that type of research. After that, “The NIH did not provide any financial support for human fetal tissue transplantation research.”

If this is accurate, what about all the harvesting of fetal body parts that Planned Parenthood itself categorizes as research? HHS provides Planned Parenthood with the majority of its federal funding, and has continued to do so up to the present.

Moreover, much of the emails The Stream obtained showed frantic HHS workers apparently trying to provide political cover for Planned Parenthood and the Obama administration.

HHS released 190 pages of emails to The Stream, but these were heavily redacted. Most of the emails appear to be internal discussions about how to respond to reporters’ questions about Planned Parenthood selling fetal tissue and responses to reporters — essentially coordinated talking points for damage control within various divisions of HHS and even within the FDA. Questions where the answers were redacted include, “Does the NIH believe doctors violated federal law by performing procedures in a way that preserved specific body parts?” and “Does the NIH believe the NIH or funded researchers violated federal law by their involvement with Planned Parenthood or StemExpress?”

In a few of the email responses that were not redacted, HHS confirmed that its NIH division is funding fetal research. Reporters had asked for confirmation of Senator Ted Cruz’s estimate that NIH funded $76 million in 2014 to study the therapeutic use of fetal tissue, and whether HHS would comply with his requests for information. A frantic stream of emails ensued within HHS, and an HHS employee responded stating that fetal stem cell research was mostly separate from embryonic stem cell research, costing $76 million versus $166 million for embryonic research.

Members of Congress have noticed that the Obama administration is abandoning its duty to engage in oversight.

Some 35 senators this week sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson calling for a full audit of all fetal research supported by HHS to determine whether there have been violations of the law and how the agency verifies compliance. Originally stemming from videos showcasing the Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s potential violations of federal law, the audit would specifically examine the Department’s oversight of contractor and grantee compliance with laws governing fetal tissue research. The letter was led by Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

In July, Portman joined 49 of his Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell immediately following the release of footage from the Center for Medical Progress depicting Planned Parenthood executives discussing – in graphic detail – the organization’s involvement in the harvesting and sale of the organs of aborted babies. In the letter, the senators asked HHS to conduct an internal review of the compliance of both HHS and their grantee, Planned Parenthood, with all applicable federal laws, including those prohibiting the sale of fetal tissue for profit.

“The response received from Sec. Burwell in August was unacceptable and makes clear that a thorough internal investigation of compliance was not conducted,” Ohio Senator Bob Portman said.

The HHS stonewalling is not surprising given that the Obama administration is working hand-in-hand with Planned Parenthood and biotech firms to finance sales of aborted babies.

According to the Politico report, the National Institutes of Health has paid Advanced Bioscience Resources $257,000 since 2009 and spent $53,000 on fetal tissue from aborted babies. The babies victimized by abortions were between 17 and 22 weeks old at the time they were aborted.

Meanwhile, FDA officials confirmed the Obama administration agency paid approximately $73,000 to the biotech company since 2009 for body parts from aborted babies, including livers and thymuses. The Politico report indicates ABR charged the Obama administration $340 for a 17- to 22-week human fetal thymus, $340 for a 17- to 22-week human fetal liver, $325 for a maternal blood test — in addition to shipping costs.

The purchases make it more understandable why the Obama administration has refused to investigate or de-funding Planned Parenthood and why the Obama administration has steadfastly defended Planned Parenthood against attempts by states to yank its taxpayer funding.

SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must Investigate Planned Parenthood for Selling Aborted Baby Parts

Congress’ investigations should look into the concern — since both the Obama administration and Planned Parenthood appear to be breaking federal laws.

In the first hearing on Planned Parenthood, James Bopp, the general counsel for the National Right to Life Committee, told the House Judiciary Committee that Planned Parenthood likely broke multiple federal laws in its sale of aborted babies and their body parts for research.

He said, “Recorded conversations, released by the Center for Medical Progress reveal many legal issues with Planned Parenthood’s procedures and practices regarding fetal tissue procurement.”

During a second hearing, Democrats on the panel complained that the videos showing the abuses at Planned Parenthood were “heavily edited.” But when Republicans on the committee attempted to show the videos, they objected and refused to watch them.

At a third hearing, Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards defended the sales of abortion babies. She contended that no baby has ever been born alive following a botched abortion, she essentially admitted that claims Planned Parenthood does mammograms are a lie, and she defended her exorbitantly high salary as the head of the nation’s biggest abortion business.

“These procedures and practices of Planned Parenthood, and their tissue procurement partners, show that federal laws when applicable, have been and are continuing to be violated during the procurement and sale of human fetal tissue,” Bopp explained.

Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans are looking to use the reconciliation process to approve legislation to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business, which has been caught selling aborted babies and their body parts. After the House approved the de-funding measure, Senate Democrats defeated a bill to fund the federal government that included language de-funding Planned Parenthood for one year while the Congressional investigation continues into how it allegedly violated multiple laws to sell aborted babies and their body parts.

House Republican leaders are planning to target Planned Parenthood’s funding by immediately drafting a fast-track reconciliation bill that would be able to overcome the Democrats’ filibuster and be approved on a majority vote in the Senate.

While the reconciliation process would result in getting a bill to de-fund Planned Parenthood to pro-abortion President Barack Obama’s desk, Obama has already promised repeatedly to veto any bill that revokes taxpayer funding for the abortion company. The Senate does not have enough votes to overcome such a veto, leading some pro-life groups to point out that there is little hope of de-funding Planned Parenthood until the election of a pro-life president next year.

“The Administration strongly opposes Senate passage of the Senate amendment to H.J.Res. 61, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2016, and for other purposes, which contains highly objectionable provisions that advance a narrow ideological agenda,” the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said before the vote. Eliminating federal funding to Planned Parenthood would “limit access” to healthcare for women, men, families and “disproportionately” affect low-income people, the OMB said.

Weeks ago, a previous Senate vote on de-funding Planned Parenthood saw Senate Democrats filibuster and block legislation to revoke $550 million in taxpayer funding.

A new Congressional report finds that de-funding the Planned Parenthood abortion business — even for one year — would save “several thousand” unborn babies from the nightmare of abortion. The report also finds de-funding Planned Parenthood would save the federal government $235 million.

The 10th video by The Center for Medical Progress features several top-level Planned Parenthood executives discussing the organization’s secretive practices around aborted fetal parts harvesting. The video includes comments from Deborah VanDerhei, the National Director of the organization’s Consortium of Abortion Providers, describing the harvesting of fetal body parts as “donation for remuneration.”

The expose’ videos catching Planned Parenthood officials selling the body parts of aborted babies have shocked the nation. Here is a list of all ten:

  • In the first video: Dr. Deborah Nucatola of Planned Parenthood commented on baby-crushing: “We’ve been very good at getting heart, lung, liver, because we know that, 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.”
  • In the second video: Planned Parenthood’s Dr. Mary Gatter joked, “I want a Lamborghini” as she negotiated the best price for baby parts.
  • In the third video: Holly O’Donnell, a former Stem Express employee who worked inside a Planned Parenthood clinic, detailed first-hand the unspeakable atrocities and how she fainted in horror over handling baby legs.
  • In the fourth video: Planned Parenthood’s Dr. Savita Ginde stated, “We don’t want to do just a flat-fee (per baby) of like, $200. A per-item thing works a little better, just because we can see how much we can get out of it.” She also laughed while looking at a plate of fetal kidneys that were “good to go.”
  • In the fifth video: Melissa Farrell of Planned Parenthood-Gulf Coast in Houston boasted of Planned Parenthood’s skill in obtaining “intact fetal cadavers” and how her “research” department “contributes so much to the bottom line of our organization here, you know we’re one of the largest affiliates, our Research Department is the largest in the United States.”
  • In the sixth video: Holly O’Donnell described technicians taking fetal parts without patient consent: “There were times when they would just take what they wanted. And these mothers don’t know. And there’s no way they would know.”
  • In the seventh and perhaps most disturbing video: Holly O’Donnell described the harvesting, or “procurement,” of organs from a nearly intact late-term fetus aborted at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte’s Alameda clinic in San Jose, CA. “‘You want to see something kind of cool,’” O’Donnell says her supervisor asked her. “And she just taps the heart, and it starts beating. And I’m sitting here and I’m looking at this fetus, and its heart is beating, and I don’t know what to think.”
  • In the eighth video: StemExpress CEO Cate Dyer admits Planned Parenthood sells “a lot of” fully intact aborted babies.
  • The ninth video: catches a Planned Parenthood medical director discussing how the abortion company sells fully intact aborted babies — including one who “just fell out” of the womb.
  • The 10th video: catches the nation’s biggest abortion business selling specific body parts — including the heart, eyes and “gonads” of unborn babies.The video also shows the shocking ways in which Planned Parenthood officials admit that they are breaking federal law by selling aborted baby body parts for profit.

The full, unedited videos have confirmed that revelations that some aborted baby remains sold by Planned Parenthood go to biotech companies for the purpose of creating “humanized” mice. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood has been exposed as having sold body parts from aborted babies for as much as 15 years.

The federal law that technically prohibits the sale of aborted babies and their body parts was written by a pro-abortion Congressman decades ago and essentially spells out a process by which sellers of aborted baby body parts can meet certain criteria that allows the sales to be legal. That’s why a Colorado congressman has introduced legislation to totally ban the sales of aborted baby body parts.

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