Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) is outraged about the undercover “sting” videos targeting Planned Parenthood, and wants to use the footage as ammunition to strip all federal funding from country’s largest provider of reproductive health care. He took a minute to speak on the floor of the house yesterday about the videos, produced by the anti-abortion group LiveAction.
“As a father of two teenage daughters, I see the video that came out this morning, I see the video that came out last week, and it’s an outrage to me that employees of Planned Parenthood clinics across the country are facilitating the abuse of minor girls in this country,” he said. “It should be a scandal to every American.”
He called the behavior of Planned Parenthood employees “abhorrent,” and characterized the latest video as evidence that employees were willing to assist pimps in securing secret abortions, STD testing and contraception for child prostitutes.
He failed to mention that Planned Parenthood reported the hoax “underage sex trafficking ring” to the FBI after they received eerily-similar visits at eight different clinics.
“The time has come to deny all federal funding to Planned Parenthood of America,” he said. In January, Pence introduced “Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act,” which would deny federal funds to Planned Parenthood or any other abortion provider. “Congress must act and act now to move this important legislation,” he said.
Pence said he thought most Americans would be surprised to learn that Planned Parenthood, “the largest abortion provider in the country,” is also the largest recipient of federal funding under Title X, a federal grant program dedicated to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and preventive health services.
“Pro-life Americans and all Americans should not be forced to subsidize America’s largest abortion provider or to continue to provide federal tax payer dollars to Title X clinics that engage in this abhorrent behavior,” he said.
Planned Parenthood, in an earlier press release responding to Pence’s legislation, stated that Pence’s bill “would have a devastating impact on women’s and rural health by denying health centers across the country federal funding (through the Title X family planning program) for preventive care, including family planning, annual exams, lifesaving cancer screenings, contraception visits, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.”
According to their website, Planned Parenthood serves over three million women, men, and teens every year.
Here’s the full transcript of Pence’s comments:
It comes as a surprise to most Americans to learn that the largest abortion provider in America is also the largest recipient of federal funding under Title X. And it’s heart breaking news this morning that Planned Parenthood of America has now been the subject of one more undercover video showing someone posing as a pimp, being facilitated by employees at Planned Parenthood in how to secure secret abortions, STD testing and contraception for child prostitutes. As a father of two teenage daughters, I see the video that came out this morning, I see the video that came out last week, and it’s an outrage to me that employees of Planned Parenthood clinics across the country are facilitating the abuse of minor girls in this country. Should be a scandal to every American. The time has come to deny all federal funding to Planned Parenthood of America. I’ve authored the Title X abortion provider prohibition act which would deny Title X funds to Planned Parenthood or any other abortion provider and Congress must act and act now to move this important legislation. Pro life Americans and all Americans should not be forced to subsidize Americans largest abortion provider or to continue to provide federal tax payer dollars to Title X clinics that engage in this abhorrent behavior.
Watch the video below:
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