U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., joined three other members of Congress Tuesday in a letter questioning the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ policies regarding the sale of fetal tissue.
Johnson, along with U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, took issue with the administration’s oversight of federally funded organizations that use fetal tissue in a letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
The letter is in response to videos released in July by anti-abortion activists that allegedly show Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of fetal tissue, a practice that violates federal law.
“Shocking videos have revealed that Planned Parenthood, as an organization, is vested in the barbaric practice of harvesting human organs for revenue,” Johnson said in a statement. “All Americans, regardless of their views on abortion, should be repulsed by the callous and cavalier attitude of Planned Parenthood representatives as they discuss their harvesting ‘techniques,’ as well as the revenue they require for the organs of unborn babies.”
It also comes after Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards testified before the House Oversight Committee Tuesday, making her first remarks to lawmakers since the release of the videos.
“For many American women, Planned Parenthood is the only healthcare provider they will see this year,” Richards said during her testimony. “It is impossible for our patients to understand why Congress is once again threatening their ability to go to the health-care provider of their choice.”
In Wisconsin, members of the state Legislature are pushing a bill that would ban the use of fetal tissue in research acquired after Jan. 1, 2015. Next month, the full Legislature will take up the proposal, which is opposed by UW-Madison and the state’s largest business lobby.
