By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
In the debate surrounding HR3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015, US Representative Bradley Byrne said that the Mobile Planned Parenthood Clinic broke Alabama Law by failing to report to authorities that a 14 year old girl has received two abortions in a four month time period.
In response to the videos of Planned Parenthood officials appearing to discuss the sale of baby body parts, Pro-Life legislators in the House are expected to vote today on whether or not to defund Planned Parenthood. Congressman Byrne is a co-sponsor of the legislation, which would eliminate all of Planned Parenthood’s federal funding.
Congressman Byrne said on the floor of the House, “By now we have all seen the appalling videos which depict Planned Parenthood officials talking about how they crush babies in certain ways to preserve certain organs and then bargaining over the price of the organs.”
Rep. Byrne continued, “I want to be crystal clear: the loss of any human life is a tragedy, but the casual nature in which the Planned Parenthood officials talk about killing a baby is simply heartbreaking and appalling. It is unconscionable that any American could be that cold and callous.”
The conservative South Alabama Congressman said, “Let me tell you about the Planned Parenthood clinic in my hometown of Mobile, Alabama. They were cited by the Alabama Department of Health for performing two abortions on a 14 year old girl in a span of four months without complying with state laws that require the reporting of possible sexual abuse. That is the type of organization we are talking about.”
Rep. Byrne said, “Congress cannot simply sit on the sidelines and wait for someone else to respond. These egregious actions require a response. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe the federal government should be spending a single penny on Planned Parenthood, and HR3134 would make that a reality. I urge my colleagues to support this rule.”
US Representative Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) said in a statement, “The situation with the Planned Parenthood in Mobile is appalling. They performed two abortions on a 14-year-old girl in less than four months. She also had two other living children. Despite this, Planned Parenthood never notified officials of possible sexual abuse. This is just one of the many reasons why they do not deserve tax dollars.”
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange (R) has been asked to investigate the Mobile incident.
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives John Boehner said in a statement, “We’re also standing with the American people to stop these grisly practices that we’ve seen from some abortion providers throughout our country. Right now, as you’ve heard, we’ve got three committees actively investigating this. We’ll also vote to strengthen the legal protections for infants that are born alive, and…address some of the practices that we’ve seen in these videos. My colleagues on the Democrat side, both in the House and the Senate, should heed what the American people are saying. It’s time to stop these horrific practices and the selling of baby parts in America.”
In the Republican Presidential Candidates debate California businesswoman Carly Fiorina said, “As regards Planned Parenthood, anyone who has watched this videotape, I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes,” she said. “Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, it’s heart beating, it’s legs kicking while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.”
President Obama has vowed to veto any bill taking funding away from Planned Parenthood and if Republicans attempt to attach that as a rider to the budget, he will shut the whole government down rather than let that become law.
Congressman Bradley Byrne (R) represents Alabama’s First Congressional District.
