Senator Marco Rubio has called for a comprehensive federal probe into allegations that Planned Parenthood has been engaging in the provision of aborted fetal tissues to the University of California San Diego. Their deal with one another includes “valuable consideration” and Planned Parenthood’s intellectual property rights over the said fetal tissue.
Senator Rubio has penned a letter urging Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm to delve into these claims, spotlighting a stark breach of federal statutes that forbid any form of compensation for the transfer of fetal tissue.
At the heart of Rubio’s concern is a 2009 contract between Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest and the University of California San Diego, uncovered by pro-life advocate David Daleiden, which involves Planned Parenthood supplying “fetal and placental tissue” for scientific research in exchange for something of value.
Rubio’s letter highlights the peculiar use of the term “valuable consideration” within the contract, a term directly lifted from federal law, indicating a transactional element that federal statutes explicitly prohibit. In addition, this contract allows Planned Parenthood to retain rights to any intellectual property derived from the fetal tissue, raising significant ethical and legal concerns.
The deeply troubling notion of a financial incentive for Planned Parenthood to perform abortions and dispatch them to universities for undisclosed experiments strikes at the very heart of ethical governance. It raises the specter of a macabre marketplace, where the sanctity of life is bartered away under the guise of scientific advancement. American citizens, especially those in the pro-life community, demand transparency regarding these transactions.
It is evident that the nature of this research being conducted comes at a disturbing moral cost. Rubio’s action underscores a growing demand for transparency and accountability in the ethical conduct of research involving fetal tissue, urging a reevaluation of federal funding and oversight mechanisms in light of these grave concerns.
