“Planned Parenthood has clearly articulated the value they place on babies’ organs and limbs, but what they fail to acknowledge is the value that the American people know full well, and that is the value of our children. And that is priceless.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines took to the Senate floor to speak out about legislation he helped introduce to defund of Planned Parenthood and ensure that there is no overall reduction in federal funds for women’s health care services.
Daines made the following remarks on the Senate floor:
“655,306 kidneys is more than $49 million, which equates to 256 Lamborghinis.
“327,653 hearts is more than $24.5 million, which equates to 128 Lamborghinis.
“1,310,612 arms and legs is $98 million, which equates to 512 Lamborghinis.
“This is the envisioned price tag, were every one of Planned Parenthood’s 327,653 abortions performed last year able to provide body parts and organs to harvest.
“The utter callousness of Planned Parenthood in discussing the price of baby parts, as if handing over a menu, is clear evidence of the culture of an organization enriched through ghoulish and disturbing practices. This is a culture that protects tissue over life, and lays out harvested organs as financial milestones towards a new car.
“Planned Parenthood has worked its way into the American lexicon, becoming synonymous with women’s health—but hiding their abortion practices.
“You see, Planned Parenthood received $528 million dollars of federal taxpayer money last year alone. And when asked on the street, so few even know that Planned Parenthood does abortions.
“But now, the veil has been lifted, exposing inexcusable and unconscionable behavior. This organization, Planned Parenthood, performs more abortions than any other organizations in our country.
“But now, our own calloused hearts, the heart of our nation, was shocked out of apathy, and we have a choice.
“We can accept the destruction and selling of our children, to stare clearly into the face of the appalling and do nothing. Or, we can allow our consciences to be moved—and then remove the public endorsement of these actions. We can remove federal taxpayer funding of the organization that has perpetuated such horrific actions.
“I am proud to join Senator Joni Ernst and Leader McConnell, as well as 23 of my Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to protect women’s access to health services and defund Planned Parenthood.
“This bill ensures that funds allocated to Planned Parenthood will be redirected to other eligible entities to provide women’s healthcare services.
“Let me be very, very clear, so that the information is clear about what this bill does and what it doesn’t do. This bill ensures that there is no reduction—not one dollar of reduction—in overall federal funding available to support women’s health.
“This bill ensures the preservation of federal funding for women’s health services, which include important services: for relevant diagnostic laboratory and radiology services, for well-child care, for prenatal and postpartum care, for immunizations, for family planning services including contraception, for sexually-transmitted disease testing, and cervical and breast cancer screenings.
“Let me say again: this bill ensures the preservation of federal funding for these very important services for women.
“This bill does not reduce any funding for women’s health services. This bill does not allow any federal funds to go towards Planned Parenthood to continue its practice of trafficking in baby parts.
“You know, we bristled when we heard of an abortion doctor that left babies born alive to die. And we sensed justice when that same doctor was sentenced in a court of law for his crimes.
“Similarly, we shudder—as a parent, Cindy and I have been married for twenty-nine years: we have four children, two boys and two girls. We shudder, as parents, at the idea of baby parts being harvested and sold in the context of equating that value to purchasing a Lamborghini. Will we see this to the same end?
“We are a society, we are a nation that values life, so much so that in our Declaration of Independence, it is so clearly articulated that all have the right to life.
“We—Democrats, Republicans, all Americans—must stand strong in the defense of those who are most vulnerable. We must advocate, and be a voice for those who do not have a voice, for the most vulnerable in our society, including the unborn.
“Over the last year, we have cringed at terrible images coming out of the Middle East. We have seen these horrible images coming across social media, and we have called loudly for action. And that was on soil thousands of miles away from America.
“But now, today we cringe at terrible images that have occurred on our own soil.
“Nothing, not even a Lamborghini, is worth the lives of our children.
“Planned Parenthood has clearly articulated the value they place on babies’ organs and limbs, but what they fail to acknowledge is the value that the American people know full well, and that is the value of our children.
“And that is priceless.”
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