Blog

Mr. BUCSHON. Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

  The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5

minutes.

  Mr. BUCSHON. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of the Pence

amendment that prohibits any funds from the underlying bill going to

Planned Parenthood of America. I want to start with a personal story as

a physician.

  I performed lifesaving surgery on infants as young as 22 weeks'

gestation at birth. Madam Chairman, I have held these lives in my own

hands. They are viable human lives at birth and, unfortunately, Planned

Parenthood uses taxpayer funds to cut these lives short; tragically,

sometimes within weeks of medically proven viability outside the womb.

Again, I have held these lives in my hands.

  Abortion, of course, for any reason is wrong, but this situation I

have personal experience with is particularly distressing for me

because I am a physician and also I am a father of four.

  I want to reiterate that Planned Parenthood has received $363.2

million in taxpayer funding as of its 2009 annual report, one-third of

their $1 billion income. During that same time period,Planned

Parenthood-supported clinics performed over 324,000 abortions,

and this is by their own accounting. Federal taxpayers should not be

asked to subsidize these actions.

  In addition, Madam Chairman, currently in Planned Parenthood there

are 11 clinics under investigation in Arizona, Ohio, Connecticut,

California and Tennessee, among other States, including my own State of

Indiana, where in 2008 a video showed a Planned Parenthood clinic

covering up a rape of a 13-year-old girl. Can everyone see a pattern

here? In total, Planned Parenthood is facing 107 criminal charges,

including 23 felony charges. What they are doing is not only morally

wrong, but appears to be criminally negligent.

  Press reports have recently said that Planned Parenthood is now

mandating by 2013 that all of its regional affiliates must provide

abortions. It is important to note that the amendment does not affect

title X services such as breast cancer screening, HIV prevention, STD

testing and other valuable health care services to women.

  This amendment is about abortion, in contrast to what has been said

here on the House floor earlier tonight. Title X supports 4,500

community clinics throughout America that provide critical services,

which I support, and I am proud of these facilities for the quality of

care that they provide.

  Again, this amendment is about abortion. I strongly support it. I

urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I would like to thank the

gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) for his strong leadership on this

amendment.

  I yield back the balance of my time.