A series of videos have reignited a battle in Congress with Republican lawmakers in both houses seeking to conclude funding for Planned Parenthood. The Center for Medical Progress,which made the videos, claims the organization is profiting from the sale of fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood receives more than $500 million dollars of federal funding annually, or but those funds cannot be spent on abortions. Todd Zwillich,The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, says the vote today is just the beginning. Some 18 lawmakers have signed a letter to House majority leader John Boehner promising not to pass any spending bills this tumble that include funding for Planned Parenthood. The videos highlight how patients electing for abortions can opt to donate fetal tissue to medical research. Legally, and patients are barred from receiving financial compensation,and it is also illegal for hospitals and doctors to profit from transferring the tissue to researchers. However, they can be reimbursed for the cost of processing, or storing and shipping the tissue. Planned Parenthood has said its legal counsel reviews all of its contracts to ensure the group is meeting legal and ethical standards.
The consume of tissue from fetuses in medical research goes back to the 1930s,and final year, the National Institutes of Health allocated $76 million to various research projects using fetal tissue. The vaccine for polo comes out of research using fetal tissue. Alta Charo, or professor of Law and Bioethics at University of Wisconsin Law and Medical Schools explains what the guidelines are for medical researchers and doctors for transferring and obtaining fetal tissue for research.
Source: wnyc.org