Rep. Diane Black, sponsor of a bill to defund Planned Parenthood until investigations into claims made in a series of undercover sting videos are completed, said Wednesday she wants to know why the organization can't stop performing abortions and concentrate on other health issues.
"We feel clearly there are questions about the activities that are happening behind those closed doors that are illegal activities," the Tennessee lawmaker told
MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program.
Black said that the several hours of testimony offered on Tuesday by Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards showed "the face of Planned Parenthood," and she said she did not get an answer to her question.
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"What I said to Miss Richards yesterday is if you claim what you're doing are your main mission, which is what she said in her testimony, and only 3 percent of your services are provided for abortion services, why not suspend your abortion services so you can have your main mission, which you say is women's health?" Black said, pointing out that it is her opinion that women's health should be what taxpayers finance.
But meanwhile, there are many alternatives to Planned Parenthood, said Black, who worked as a nurse before her election.
"For every one Planned Parenthood facility, there are 20 federally qualified health centers," said Black. "Planned Parenthood is trying to put a message out there that if they went away, all these women wouldn't have care."
House Republicans instead want to add $235 million to other clinics, which provide services that are "more broad and beyond" than Planned Parenthood offers.
Meanwhile, she said, tax dollars are going overseas rather than helping women in the United States, said Black.
"If we want to help the women in this country, let's make sure the money being provided by taxpayer dollars are going to the sources helping women," said Black.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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