Leading pro-life advocates are calling on Congress to investigate Planned Parenthood following another death of a woman from a legal abortion at one of its clinics — this time in Chicago, Illinois.
In response to news that a young woman, Tonya Reaves, died after a botched abortion at Planned Parenthood, the Susan B. Anthony List renewed the call for a congressional investigation into the abortion provider.
“Congress has an obligation to exercise clear and regular oversight of businesses like Planned Parenthood that receive hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding and have such dramatic impact on the lives of women and unborn children. This tragic incident reminds us once again that an industry that relies on practitioners like Kermit Gosnell, that has shown willingness to aid alleged human traffickers, and that turns a blind eye to sex-selective abortion must be thoroughly and immediately investigated by Congress,” said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser.
Dannenfelser added, “We must not allow Tonya Reaves to have died in vain, but rather heed this warning and call on Congress to exercise its full capacity to investigate Planned Parenthood. As the nation’s largest abortion provider, in 2010 alone Planned Parenthood ended the lives of 324,008 unborn children and ill-served their mothers.”
“Left unregulated, the abortion industry clearly cannot be trusted to look out for the true interests of women,” continued Dannenfelser. “Earlier this year, Congressman Cliff Stearns launched an investigation of Planned Parenthood which raised a list of questions and issues concerning safety and oversight of Planned Parenthood. The American people need to know the answers to those questions about internal operations so that Americans can be assured women’s interests are protected.”
Dannenfelser noted that, earlier this month, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that Planned Parenthood of Illinois’ medical director, abortion provider Caroline Hoke, is being investigated for overbilling to Medicaid. Planned Parenthood of Illinois is the affiliate responsible for Tonya Reaves’ botched abortion.
Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League went even further and said, “It’s time for it to close its doors.”
“Tonya joins Holly Patterson, Diana Lopez, and many other women who went into a Planned Parenthood facility and did not survive,” said Sedlak. “These deaths of healthy women are, of course, in addition to the 450 preborn female human beings who die at Planned Parenthood every day.”
“Americans have made it clear that they do not want Planned Parenthood to exist any longer,” Sedlak continued. “It is closing down clinics for lack of money and customers; losing donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations; and seeing its taxpayer funding cut off in state after state, as well as in the House of Representatives. Planned Parenthood has been able to survive only through the erroneous intervention of judges in the funding process, its bullying tactics, and its own political muscle.”
“Any organization that only exists through fear and intimidation,” Sedlak concluded, “will not be able to exist for long. Planned Parenthood needs to do the right thing and close down all its facilities now.”
Thomas Peters, a writer at the Live Action blog, also wants more information about Reaves’ case.
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He said: “Planned Parenthood has been completely tight-lipped about what happened, claiming they have declined to offer more information “out of respect for the patient’s privacy.” What is more important, I think, is that they explain to the family of this woman exactly what happened. According to the medical examiner’s office she died after having an abortion at the Planned Parenthood clinic at 18 S. Michigan Ave. At the very least a thorough investigation of the incident and of the clinic property should be executed.”
“Planned Parenthood has always attempted to harass pro-life centers, sometimes by claiming they are unsafe for women. Well in yet another example it turns out that a Planned Parenthood clinic was the most dangerous place for a woman (not to mention her unborn child),” he said. “Let’s pray for Tonya, pray for her unborn child, and pray for their family, that they will continue to demand answers from Planned Parenthood so we can do more to help prevent other women from suffering the devastating risks and effects of abortion.”
