More Conversations With My Congress Critter

Dear Mr. Schrider,

Thank you for your recent communication regarding Planned Parenthood. I appreciate this opportunity to correspond with you.

By way of background, Planned Parenthood receives federal funds through Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants and programs. Title X of the Public Health Service Act and Medicaid provide a considerable amount funding to the organization for family planning and women's health services. Planned Parenthood is prohibited from using federal funds for abortion services.

Recently, several videos have been released that show healthcare workers at Planned Parenthood discussing and arranging the sale of organs from unborn children. Employees in the videos also explain how they alter abortion procedures to obtain specific requested organs and body parts which they then sell to companies that specialize in procuring fetal tissue for research purposes. I am deeply disturbed by the footage and find it abhorrent that doctors and senior employees at this organization have engaged in their barbaric process and may have blatantly curtailed federal law.

Congresswoman Diane Black (R-TN) introduced H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, on July 21, 2015. This bill would place a year-long moratorium on all federal funding to Planned Parenthood unless the organization and its partners certify that it will not provide any money for abortions. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 3134 by a vote of 241-187. I voted in favor of this bill, and I am sorry that we do not agree on this issue.

There are many alternative locations where women can receive family planning and women's health services. For every Planned Parenthood facility there are 20 federally-funded comprehensive care clinics, known as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or Rural Health Centers offering women 13,000 alternatives. In Ohio, there are 204 different FQHC service sites that serve more than one-half million women. They offer emergency medical care, mammograms, radiological services, child wellness services, health screenings, and a full spectrum of family planning care. They do not provide abortions.

I have been pro-life my entire lifetime and oppose the use of U.S. tax dollars to fund abortion services in any capacity. Cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is endangered are the only exceptions I can accept. Through education and increased awareness, the number of unwanted pregnancies can be reduced. In addition, we must encourage alternatives to abortion such as programs that promote adoption. Through this approach, we can alleviate many of the circumstances that contribute to the distressingly high number of abortions in this country.
Again, I appreciate the time you have taken to reach out to me. I am sorry that we do not agree on this issue. Please do not hesitate to contact my office should you have any additional questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Patrick J. Tiberi
Representative to Congress
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Representative Tiberi,

Thank you for your response, rife with inaccuracies as it was.

First, the Hyde Amendment already explicitly prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion services. So, Planned Parenthood does not use any federal funds in providing abortion services.

Secondly, the videos you and your fellow travelers cite as the source of your disgust and ire with Planned Parenthood have bee thoroughly and completely discredited. Any legislation written or passed on the basis of these videos is legislation based on a lie.

Thirdly, the fact of the matter is that while there may be alternative sites for women to seek healthcare, the system lacks the capacity to take in the number of patients that would be cut adrift with the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Again, you and your fellow travelers are legislating on the basis of misleading information.

Finally, defunding Planned Parenthood would shutdown one of the best programs available to reduce the number of abortions. The patient education, access to contraceptives, and counseling...all serve to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies, thus reducing the number of, and need for, abortions.

Mark Schrider MSN, RN, CCRN