GOP lawmaker calls Planned Parenthood video ‘simply horrifying’

Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) took to the House floor in an emotional speech Tuesday to blast a viral video purportedly showing a top Planned Parenthood official describing the transfer of aborted fetal tissue.

The undercover video, which surfaced Tuesday morning from a group called the Center for Medical Progress, shows a woman identified as Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s senior director of medical services, discussing fetal tissue procurement.

“A lot of people want intact hearts these days, because they’re looking for specific nodes,” the woman says. 

{mosads}”Yesterday was the first time she said people wanted lungs,” the woman adds. “Some people want lower extremities too, which, that’s simple. I mean that’s easy.”

Roby called the video “simply horrifying.”

“This is one of those moments as a nation that we have to ask ourselves, Who are we? Are we really going to tolerate this inhumanity? Are we going to look the other way while babies are brutally killed and organs are harvested for profit?” Roby asked.

“These aren’t specimens, they are babies, for goodness’ sake,” the Alabama Republican said.

Planned Parenthood said the video “grossly mischaracterizes” fetal tissue donations.

“The promotional video mischaracterizing Planned Parenthood’s mission and services is made by a long time anti-abortion activist that has used deceptive and unethical video editing, and that has created a fake medical website as well as a fake human tissue website that purports to provide services to stem cell researchers,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement.

Moments earlier, Roby removed herself as a co-sponsor of a bill to create a commemorative coin to increase funding for breast cancer research that was eliminated from the vote schedule Tuesday. GOP leaders decided to hold off on a vote due to concerns from Republicans that proceeds from the coin sales would go to the Susan G. Komen foundation, which has had ties to Planned Parenthood.