White House: Planned Parenthood videos are ‘shocking’

Since the release of the first undercover video demonstrating a scandal-rich, law-breaking Planned Parenthood, the White House has towed the line, making statements in support of the abortion giant. In this video, the White House practically admitted to repeating Planned Parenthood’s talking points.

For weeks, it seemed the White House was refusing to even watch the videos, and certainly wouldn’t comment on whether or not President Obama would view them. After all, Planned Parenthood was ethical simply because it said it was ethical.

But now, despite a contradictory and brash promise to still veto any federal budget that does not fund Planned Parenthood, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest has admitted that the videos are “shocking.”

Clearly, this is hardly enough for the White House. If a private organization has been caught on video with “shocking” statements and actions, why is the organization being funded with taxpayer dollars?

The White House is completely unable to explain why Planned Parenthood deserves over $500 million from the taxpayers, per year. Any attempt rings entirely disingenuous. According to The Blaze, Earnest told the press corp:

What has injected this issue into the political dialogue of late, the graphic videos that emerged on the Internet the last couple of months, Planned Parenthood has apologized for the content of those videos and they should. They were shocking.

It is certainly not appropriate for Republicans in Congress, in fact, it’s even cynical for some Republicans in Congress to try to use those videos as an excuse to try to take away basic health care from millions of families that rely on it every day.

First, no, Planned Parenthood did not apologize for the actual “content” of the videos. Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards apologized for the “tone.” If PP has issued an apology, demonstrating its great sorrow for committing partial-birth abortions, killing born-alive infants, piecing apart aborted babies (after declaring, “It’s a baby” or, “Another boy!“), I’d love to hear it.

Secondly, it is in no way “cynical” for politicians who represent the people to be concerned about how the people’s tax dollars are being spent. It is ironic that, in Washington, D.C., it is considered “cynical” to stop and evaluate a corrupt organization that amounts to no more than a criminal enterprise.

Finally, pro-life politicians are not trying “to use these videos as an excuse to try to take away basic health care from millions of families that rely on it every day.” A few questions for Josh Earnest, Barack Obama, and the White House on this:

• Since when did Planned Parenthood give “basic health care” to “families”? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never found a pediatrician at a Planned Parenthood.
• Are you aware of the women like Addison, who had the idea of abortion pushed on her despite her wishes, and my sister-in-law, who was told the ultrasound machine was broken and was given a disconnected number for a referral? Both women were ultimately turned away from Planned Parenthood because – horror of horror! – they wanted to keep their babies. So much for “families.”
• “Rely on it every day”? Again, introduce me to these families that visit Planned Parenthood for their urgent and emergency care when their child breaks a bone, needs stitches, or has pneumonia.

The problem with the White House’s position is simple: The kind of “basic health care” for “millions of families” that Josh Earnest is speaking of is met, not at Planned Parenthood, but at community health centers around the nation.

These CHCs, along with other federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) have over 13,500 locations nationwide (compared to Planned Parenthood’s 665). They serve eight times the number of people Planned Parenthood sees, at over 21 million a year, compared to PP’s 2.7 million.

The CHCs have stellar records on how many low-income women receive cancer screenings and breast exams (85.2 and 74.5 percent) – rivaling the national average for women of any income bracket (73.1 and 81.2 percent). Planned Parenthood, not so much. Their record is dismal, and the numbers show it: somewhere between 17 and 32 percent of their patients receive similar screenings. Add this to the fact that 62 percent of “uninsured women received recommended mammography screening” at CHCs, and 0 percent received them at Planned Parenthood because – as a nationwide Live Action investigation demonstrated – PP doesn’t even offer this service.

So, Josh Earnest, is it cynicism that causes pro-lifers to choose to redirect the $500 million in taxpayers dollars to CHCs and FQHCs instead of Planned Parenthood? Or is it basic, factual, logic – in response to the “shocking” actions of a corrupt, barbaric organization?