Arkansas Senators Call for Investigation into Planned Parenthood
As undercover videos from the Center for Medical Progress continue to roll out regarding Planned Parenthood, Arkansas’ two U.S. Senators are calling for an investigation.
Last week Senators Boozman and Cotton released a joint statement, saying in part,
“As a strong believer in the sanctity of life, I am committed to defending those who cannot defend themselves. The amorality of the footage is appalling and raises not only concerns regarding whether Planned Parenthood broke multiple laws, but also the moral, ethical and policy implications its actions may have,” Boozman said. “Further, I simply do not believe that the federal government should be using taxpayer dollars to help fund facilities that provide abortions. The cavalier attitude with which these gruesome practices were discussed reaffirms my position and I am committed to getting the answers to these questions that Arkansans deserve.”
“Words are limiting to try to express the moral shock we feel when confronted by behavior so abhorrent as selling dead baby body parts for profit. But where words fall short I’m hopeful that we can be united in action: we must put an end to the federal funding of Planned Parenthood. Arkansans’ tax dollars should not be supporting an organization that condones the activity we’ve seen in the videos released this week. This should be one issue that transcends partisan politics or ideology. To truly honor the God-given rights to life and liberty enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by our Constitution, we should strive to guarantee those rights to the ones least able to defend themselves—the unborn,” Cotton said.
Boozman and Cotton are two of 50 senators who sent a letter today, led by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), calling on Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell to cooperate with ongoing and future investigations regarding the serious issues raised by these videos.
This week Sens. Boozman and Cotton both signed on as cosponsors of federal senate bill S. 1881 that would bar public funds from Planned Parenthood.
Late yesterday the Los Angeles Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order against the Center for Medical Progress preventing it from releasing at least one upcoming video from its series on Planned Parenthood.