DOVER — Local Republican leaders are speaking out in the wake of secretly filmed videos showing Planned Parenthood officials in Texas discussing the sale of aborted baby organs.
The videos, released in July, show Planned Parenthood executives allegedly breaking the law by negotiating deals to sell the fetal tissue and organs.
Rep. Daniel Short
Congressional Republicans have renewed a push to defund Planned Parenthood, and in Delaware Republican leaders have sent a letter to top state health officials.
“The point of this letter is not to engage in a discussion of ethics. As the stewards of taxpayer money, our goal is to gather information about Planned Parenthood of Delaware, an organization that receives part of its funding from the state,” explains the letter written by Sen. Gary Simpson, R-Milford, and Rep. Daniel Short, R-Seaford.
The letter asks Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf and Division of Public Health Director Karyl Rattay to investigate if Planned Parenthood of Delaware sold any tissue or body parts from abortions.
It also requests a summary of the state and national laws on fetal tissue extraction and details on the financing of the nonprofit organization.
Planned Parenthood is receiving $215,825.65 from the state government in the current fiscal year.
“Further, any attempt to make this a political issue is disingenuous,” Rep. Short said in a statement. “We, as elected officials, are asking legitimate questions of an organization in receipt of state funds. There is nothing political about our inquiry.
“In light of these alarming videos we were forced to enter into this uncomfortable discussion as a public duty to the citizens we serve.”
They asked for a response by Wednesday.