GOP lawmaker seeks ban on fetal tissue sales

Legislation authored by a House Republican would ban sales of aborted fetal organs in response to controversial videos showing Planned Parenthood’s use of the practice.

Rep. Kevin Yoder’s (R-Kan.) bill, titled the Prohibiting the Life-Ending Industry of Fetal Organ Exchange (Pro-LIFE) Act, would prohibit any sale or exchange of funds for fetal tissue — even to reimburse organizations for preservation or processing costs.

“No organization should enrich itself commodifying unborn human life,” Yoder said in a statement. “It’s time to close the loophole that lets abortion providers like Planned Parenthood charge money for these organs under the guise of paying for transportation costs.”

{mosads}Planned Parenthood has denied that it makes any profit from fetal tissue donations. The organization’s president, Cecile Richards, said Planned Parenthood is only reimbursed for the costs of preserving and transferring the tissue for medical research.

“It’s absolutely illegal to make any profit and we do not. Planned Parenthood makes zero profit on any fetal tissue donations. There are companies that do this work that are not related to Planned Parenthood. We are 100 percent nonprofit and we make zero money from fetal tissue donations,” Richards said Monday on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports.”

The Center for Medical Progress, an anti-abortion group, has released four undercover Planned Parenthood videos so far and indicated it may release more in the coming weeks. 

Yoder’s legislation, which was introduced on the House’s last day of session before adjourning for the August recess, currently has 24 Republican co-sponsors.

A group of 18 House Republicans, which did not include Yoder, pledged in a letter to GOP leaders last week that they would vote against any government-spending bill if it continues to fund Planned Parenthood.

The Senate will vote Monday on legislation to block federal funding to Planned Parenthood and redirect it to other women’s health organizations.