Shortly after David Daleiden exposed Planned Parenthood’s trade in baby body parts, Congress established a Select Panel to investigate the abortion giant’s practice of fetal body part harvesting. On March 2, the Panel held its first hearing.
Life Legal represents David in three lawsuits filed against him by the abortion industry. His videos reveal Planned Parenthood’s willingness to engage in inhumane and illegal activity—activity that should be further investigated and ultimately prosecuted.
Last week’s hearing represents a concrete step toward that end. The Select Investigative Panel focused on the following legal and ethical issues:
PAYMENT FOR FETAL TISSUE
The Panel presented evidence of fetal tissue sales in the form of “bonuses” to incentivize technicians. Federal law prohibits the procurement of fetal tissue for valuable consideration—i.e. bonuses.
INFORMED CONSENT
Federal law requires written consent from women before the parts of their aborted babies can be procured. Valid informed consent requires that medically relevant facts, including a description of the procedure, be provided. Informed consent forms used to persuade women to donate tissue, however, make no mention of the human being whose life will be terminated or how the body parts will be harvested.
While falsely claiming that fetal tissue has already been used to find cures for many chronic and deadly diseases, the “informed” consent form dehumanizes unborn babies as “pregnancy tissue,” suggesting an undifferentiated mass of cells:
CALLOUS DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE
The Panel’s exhibits include emails casually discussing the availability of specific body parts. One email chain, revealing a horrific discussion of what parts would be available following an ongoing abortion mentions the condition of the “specimen,” a tiny, fully formed human being who has just been torn in pieces.
Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt coined the phrase “the banality of evil” to describe these kinds of horrendous acts that society has come to accept as commonplace.
Because of David’s videos, Congress is investigating Planned Parenthood. Life Legal continues to defend David against a billion-dollar industry that believes human beings can be carved up and sold to the highest bidder.