The president of Planned Parenthood defended the pro-choice organization in an interview that aired Sunday, calling recently released videos that show doctors discussing prices of parts of aborted fetuses a “complete political smear campaign.”
“Planned Parenthood has broken no laws,” Cecile Richards said on ABC. “We have the highest standards. The care, health care and safety of our patients are the most important priority.”
An anti-abortion group known as the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) released its second video on Tuesday in a series of secretly recorded videos of abortion providers and Planned Parenthood executives. The video shows top doctors of the organization explaining their bargaining process with medical companies to determine how much an aborted body parts should be worth.
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Richards said the doctors featured in the films have been reprimanded. She added that the “militant wing of the anti-abortion” organization was not focused on improving women’s health, but rather wanted to cut the organization’s federal funding.
“It’s only a handful of states in where fetal tissue donation is happening, but let’s put this in the biggest context. This is actually not about women’s health care,” Richard’s said. “This entire effort is a complete political smear campaign in order to cut off funding for basic health care for women in America.”
The most recent video shows Mary Gatter, medical director of Planned Parenthood of Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley, jokingly saying “I want a Lamborghini.” The first video, released on July 14, features the organization’s senior director of medical services, Deborah Nucatola, discussing how some doctors determine the abortion process based on whether the medical labs plan to purchase the parts for medical research.
The videos have struck a chord on Capitol Hill, with some Republicans suggesting stripping the organization of funding and urging a federal investigation.
Andrea Beasley