Posted on 08/14/2015 8:51:45 PM PDT by pulaskibush
Arkansas has become the fourth state to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business in the wake of six videos exposing how the abortion giant sells the body parts of aborted babies for research. The state follows Alabama and Louisiana, which are revoking a contract with Planned Parenthood using state Medicaid dollars, and New Hampshire, which zapped $650,000 in state taxpayer funding.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he is ending state Medicaid payments to the Planned Parenthood abortion business – even as the Obama administration is threatening Alabama and Louisiana for doing so. Hutchinson directed the Department of Human Services to terminate its existing agreements with Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, according to a press release from his office.
Planned Parenthood received more than $51,000 in taxpayer-funded Medicaid payments in Arkansas over the past fiscal year and, even though the funding doesn’t go to abortions directly, it is fungible and frees up Planned Parenthood dollars to promote and perform abortions.
The press release says:
“It is apparent that after the recent revelations on the actions of Planned Parenthood, that this organization does not represent the values of the people of our state and Arkansas is better served by terminating any and all existing contracts with them. This includes their affiliated organization, Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma.
“I appreciate the legislature’s leadership on this important issue, especially that of Senator Eddie Joe Williams and Representative David Meeks.” In Alabama, Governor Robert Bentley sent a letter to the head of the Planned Parenthood abortion business in Alabama notifying it of his decision. In Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals informed Planned Parenthood it is exercising its right to terminate Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid provider agreement.
Meanwhile, in Louisiana, according to the Medicaid provider contract between DHH and Planned Parenthood, along with relevant Louisiana law, either party can choose to cancel the contract at will after providing written notice.
But the Obama administration wrote threatening letters to each state claiming their move to de-fund Planned Parenthood violates federal law. As The Hill reports:
But the White House points out that federal law says Medicaid beneficiaries may obtain services from any qualified provider and that cutting Planned Parenthood out of the program restricts that choice.
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) has contacted Louisiana and Alabama about the issue. “CMS has notified states who have taken action to terminate their Medicaid provider agreements with Planned Parenthood that they may be in conflict with federal law,” Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Ben Wakana said in a statement.
“Longstanding Medicaid laws prohibit states from restricting individuals who have coverage through Medicaid from receiving care from a qualified provider,” he said. “By restricting which provider a woman could choose to receive care from, women could lose access to critical preventive care, such as cancer screenings.” But Louisiana is not backing down.
When Louisiana cut Planned Parenthood fnuding Jindal’s office said, “Governor Jindal and DHH decided to give the required 30-day notice to terminate the Planned Parenthood Medicaid provider contract because Planned Parenthood does not represent the values of the State of Louisiana in regards to respecting human life. Pending the ongoing investigation, DHH reserves the right to amend the cancellation notice and terminate the provider agreement immediately should cause be determined.”
The governor said the state health department has “concerns that Planned Parenthood could be acting in violation of Louisiana law that states no person or group contracting with the state or receiving government assistance shall require or recommend that any woman have an abortion. The state investigation into Planned Parenthood remains ongoing.”
The Hill reports that, “Mike Reed, a spokesman for Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), indicated the state and its Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) are standing by its decision.”
He cited a provision in the state Medicaid contract allowing either party to cancel it at will, with 30 days notice.
“CMS reached out to DHH after we canceled the Medicaid provider contract with Planned Parenthood,” Reed said. “DHH explained to CMS why the state chose to exercise our right to cancel the contract without cause.” The abortion giant praised the Obama administration saying it will “do everything in our power to protect women’s access to health care in all fifty states.”
The sixth and most recent video features Holly O’Donnell, a licensed phlebotomist who unsuspectingly took a job as a “procurement technician” at the fetal tissue company and biotech start-up StemExpress in late 2012. That’s the company that acts as a middleman and purchases the body parts of aborted babies from Planned Parenthood to sell to research universities and other places.
The new video includes O’Donnell’s eyewitness narrative of the daily practice of fetal body parts harvesting in Planned Parenthood abortion clinics, describing tissue procurement workers’ coordination with abortion providers, the pressure placed on patients, and disregard for patient consent.
As LifeNews reported, the first video of undercover footage shows Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Senior Director of Medical Services, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, describing how Planned Parenthood sells the body parts of aborted unborn children and admitting she uses partial-birth abortions to supply intact body parts.
SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must Investigate Planned Parenthood for Selling Aborted Baby Parts
In the second video, Planned Parenthood doctor Mary Gatter discusses the pricing of aborted baby body parts — telling the biotech company officials that the prices for such things as a baby’s liver, head or heart are negotiable. She also tells the officials that she could talk with the Planned Parenthood abortion practitioners to potentially alter the abortion procedure to kill the baby in a way that would best preserve those body parts after the unborn child is killed in the abortion.
So far, 12 states have responded to the Planned Parenthood videos and launched investigations into their abortion and organ harvesting business including South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, Texas and Louisiana. The district attorney in Houston Texas is also investigating after the Houston-based Planned Parenthood abortion facility was caught selling aborted babies.
Congress has expanded its investigation into the Planned Parenthood abortion business and three states have revoked taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood’s abortion business, including Alabama, New Hampshire and Louisiana.
The full, unedited videos have confirmed that revelations that some aborted baby remains sold by Planned Parenthood go to biotech companies for the purpose of creating “humanized” mice. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood has been exposed as having sold body parts from aborted babies for as much as 15 years.
Also, will Ambetter still go to proabortion rallies while benefiting from the Private Option?
God bless Arkansas!!
Arkansas Ping!
So, PP gets funded by federal funds AND the states?
Dark Lord Obama will be displeased and issue threats no doubt.
Hutchinson caved on religious freedom legislation to protect bakers and florists from attack for refusing to do business with gay wedding ceremonies earlier this year.
Hutchinson’s back down on First Amendment freedom came after opposition to the freedom legislation from business interests including Wal Mart CEO Doug McMillon.
This Republican governor will be backing down once the judiciary hands down the final verdict or sooner.
Look good, feel good political grandstanding I do suspect........
YES!
We’ve known about this stuff for 30 years.
It took a video to wake people up.
Thank you Center for Medical Progress.
The taxpayers should not be funding the murder and slaughtering of innocent babies by a bunch of heartless killers.
Yep, I’m sure the Fed will be all over this.
Only 53 to go.
Berry berry good. Take that feckless one on the hill. Has basketball been berry berry good to you?
Obastard is threatening to cut fed funds to states that do that.
I’m gonna be a happy FReeper to see his sorry a$$ leave the white hut.
Do you have an Arkansas ping list, and if so may I be added to it?
I have an older one. I need to update it sometime.
BTTT!
The Dictator plans revenge against these states.
Great news! Hallelujah!
Let’s all tell the sand negro to go and pound sand! The money is taxpayer’s money no the governments money!
Our nut suckers in the Volunteer state lack the will
Truly pitiful
Haha; very funny! =)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.