Will These Undercover Videos Change Anything?

What actions are being taken as a result of the #PPSellsBabyParts videos? (No graphic language or images in post)

planned-Parenthood1We’ve seen three morally repulsive videos drop in past three weeks from the Center for Medical Progress. Ifyou missed them and don’t really know what’s going on, check out this post here.

After all this outrage is anything actually happening?

If watching Planned Parenthood’s crisis PR management wasn’t telling enough, it’s clear that they are struggling. NARAL Pro-Choice America said it themselves: “….This is an emergency (Planned Parenthood) ….It’s all hands on deck to save Planned Parenthood….” Not only that, Planned Parenthood has been accused here of threatening media outlets if they report on the third video. And then there was the appalling and robotic interview by Cecile Richards with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos where Ms. Richards repeated talking points that led her to call pro-life people murderers. I’m not sure it can get much more desperate.

But besides Planned Parenthood squirming like a worm, here’s what else is happening as a result of these videos:

In Illinois:

1. On Tuesday, July 28, 2015, Illinois Right to Life sent every member of the General Assembly a letter educating them on the Planned Parenthood scandal and called for Planned Parenthood of Illinois to be defunded. (According to the Illinois Comptroller’s Office, they’ve received $42 million from Illinois in 2011-2015.)

2. Illinois Right to Life is calling upon Gov. Bruce Rauner to investigate Planned Parenthood. After all, no Planned Parenthood in Illinois is licensed by the state nor have they received a health inspection since 1999.

3. State Representative Jeannie Ives has proposed resolution 671 calling for Planned Parenthood to be investigated for possibly selling baby parts and possibly performing the illegal partial birth abortion procedure. According to the Illinois Review, here are the other Representatives who have signed on as co-sponsors: Jerry Costello II (D) and 31 republicans: Rep. Jeanne M IvesPatricia R. BellockBarbara WheelerMark BatinickThomas MorrisonMargo McDermedTerri BryantKeith WheelerRobert W. PritchardDavid ReisJohn D. CavalettoBrian W. StewartTom DemmerReginald PhillipsRandy FreseDonald L. MoffittRon SandackDwight KayCharles E. MeierJoe SosnowskiDavid HarrisDavid McSweeneySteven AnderssonTim ButlerDan BradyNorine HammondJohn M. CabelloAdam BrownC.D. DavidsmeyerJerry F. Costello, IIGrant Wehrli and Sheri L Jesiel.

4. Illinois Right to Life via our attorneys at Thomas More Society has filed a massive Freedom of Information Act ( FOIA) request with Stroger Cook County Hospital. Stroger Hospital was specifically mentioned in the first video as being a “fabulous” place to harvest baby body parts. (Stay tuned.)

5. On Tuesday, July 28, 2015 #WomenBetrayed rallies took place in 70 cities across the country. Illinois was no exception with a rally taking place in Chicago outside Planned Parenthood headquarters on Michigan Ave. Hundreds of people took off their lunch break and came to call for the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Check out our Facebook and Twitter for pictures.

6. On August 22, 2015 the Pro-Life Action League will be hosting a second rally to defund Planned Parenthood outside the Planned Parenthood in Aurora, Illinois. When this clinic was built, it was the largest Planned Parenthood in the country, according to the Chicago Tribune. It currently has a lawsuit against it for lying to the town and filing false documents with the government.

Around the country:

1. President Obama may be going out of his way to thank Planned Parenthood (it really happened see here (at .54 second mark ) but Congressional lawmakers are taking these videos very seriously. Speaker of the House John Boehner said in a press conference that the videos make him want to “vomit.” We agree, Mr. Speaker. A bill has been filed to defund Planned Parenthood for one year while an investigation takes place. That would take about $1.4 million dollars per day away from Planned Parenthood. The bills have been placed on a fast-track to be voted upon.

2. A bill has also been filed by Congressional lawmakers to permanently remove funding from Planned Parenthood. Both leaders in the U.S. Senate and in the U.S. House are promising votes on these bills as early as this week.

3. Governors and state Attorneys General across the country have launched investigations into Planned Parenthood including in Massachusetts, Missouri, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Tennessee, and Georgia. Some media sources have reported an approaching Texas hearing on Planned Parenthood could be the location for the fourth undercover video to be released. (Yes, the Center for Medical Progress say they have 10-12 videos total. This is only the beginning.)

4. The U.S. Attorney General has said she is reviewing the materials. Although she seems more interested in investigating the Center for Medical Progress where the undercover journalist work rather than the potentially criminal and morally nauseating activity by Planned Parenthood.

There are a lot of moving parts in this scandal and other ways to investigate Planned Parenthood and stop this horrifying behavior are in the works. As for you and me, we need to keep pouring on the pressure from the people. Planned Parenthood has been the top trending topic on Facebook countless times since the drop of the videos. The #WomenBetrayed rallies hosted Tuesday are still the top trending topic on Facebook 24 hours after the rallies took place. “Planned Parenthood” and “Lamborghini” have made top spots trending on Twitter as well. We need to keep talking about Planned Parenthood and let everyone involved: Planned Parenthood, political leaders, movers and shakers all feel the pressure from the people. We will not stand for an America where it is acceptable IN ANY WAY to sell baby body parts for profit.

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