Albuquerque, NM - Following Friday's decisive vote in the U.S. House to defund Planned Parenthood for one year, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce stood today with Students for Life of the University of New Mexico and representatives of grassroots organizations to call upon New Mexico's U.S. Senators and the entire Senate to take the same critical vote to approve this legislation. At a press conference outside the gates of Albuquerque's Planned Parenthood of Albuquerque on San Mateo Blvd., Pearce issued this statement:
"The videos (by the Center for Medical Progress) document atrocities against women and children that are ghastly and have no connection whatsoever to healthcare," said Pearce. "Top-level Planned Parenthood officials from across the country repeatedly state in clear terms that they are actively harvesting the sale of dead babies' body parts and selling them for profit. An unborn baby is not an expendable object. The House is investigating these practices for violations of several federal laws, which may entail felony offenses."
"On September 18, we voted to move money away from the corrupt Planned Parenthood sites to federally qualified community health care centers and rural clinics," stated Pearce. "Contrary to what Planned Parenthood is saying, this transfer of funds will improve New Mexicans' access to healthcare. By moving the over $500 million dollars the federal government spends annually on Planned Parenthood to these healthcare providers, we will provide expanded access to genuine preventative care to poor and rural women throughout all of New Mexico. With this change, federal funding will no longer subsidize 6 Planned Parenthood locations in urban areas of New Mexico. Instead, women will be able to visit one of 125 authentic clinics throughout the state in both rural and urban areas (see the enclosed chart).
"I call upon Senators Udall and Heinrich to put New Mexico women's healthcare ahead of the inhumane, profit-seeking interests of Planned Parenthood. Any organization willing to disregard basic human rights doesn't deserve American taxpayer funding. The Senate must act swiftly to pass this critical legislation."
Background: The recent undercover videos of Planned Parenthood document depraved practices that shock the conscience. It is horrifying to watch their abortionists and staff discuss the harvesting and sale of body parts of aborted babies and to see them pick over dismembered arms and legs, hearts, kidneys and livers that can be sold. These barbaric practices are not only inhumane; partial birth abortion; altering abortion procedures on women to harvest baby parts, and selling organs for profit - also implicate serious crimes under federal law and some state codes.
New Mexico has 165 federally qualified community health providers and rural clinics that can provide poor and underserved women increased access to healthcare.
