October 2018 – Article 2:
Those who value the sanctity of all human life have reason to be grateful.
Yielding to pressure from pro-life groups and 85 members of Congress, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has ended its barbaric practice of fueling the demand for fetal tissue.
The agency said it has cancelled a contract for “fresh” human fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions for transplant into “humanized mice” for use in biological research.
The actual contract was with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is part of HHS.
The $15,900 contract—using federal tax dollars—was one of eight HHS signed with San Francisco-based Advanced Bioscience Resources, Inc. (ABR) since 2012. The contract was to run through July 25, 2019.
In a statement, HHS said it cancelled the contract because it didn’t include “appropriate protections” for fetal tissue procurement.
As a result of the move, HHS said it is “conducting an audit of all acquisitions involving human fetal tissue to ensure conformity with procurement and human fetal tissue research laws and regulations.”
In addition, the agency “has initiated a comprehensive review of all research involving fetal tissue to ensure consistency with statutes and regulations governing such research, and to ensure the adequacy of procedures and oversight of this research in light of the serious regulatory, moral and ethical considerations involved.”
Most importantly, HHS said it is, “continuing to review whether adequate alternatives exist to the use of human fetal tissue in HHS-funded research and will ensure that efforts to develop such alternatives are funded and accelerated.”
A Complete Ban on Procurement is Needed
It’s important to note that this is not a complete victory. What’s needed is legislation that would completely ban the procurement and use of fetal tissue by any government agency or research facility. At the writing of this article, however, attempts to pass such a bill appeared doomed to failure.
Despite that setback, GRTL President Ricardo Davis saw hope in the latest HHS announcement. “Any use of fetal tissue for research is evil, and must be stopped. Using taxpayer funds to pay for it just adds salt into the wound.”
ABR has a close working relationship with Planned Parenthood to obtain fetal tissue, even though the abortion giant is under federal investigation for selling body parts from aborted children, which is illegal.
Planned Parenthood Under Investigation
The issue of Planned Parenthood selling fetal tissue is being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which does not comment on the status of ongoing investigations.
The query began after the Senate Judiciary Committee recommended the FBI and DOJ investigate and possibly prosecute Planned Parenthood, some of its affiliates, and other companies involved in the trafficking of young human body parts.
In addition, a report by the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives included 15 criminal referrals against abortion companies including Planned Parenthood, universities, and fetal tissue companies for violating federal laws and regulations.
“Human fetal tissue research is an outdated and unproductive area of research that does not make a strong impact on the field,” the report concluded, noting that fetal tissue hasn’t produced a single medical treatment and is not used to cure polio, mumps, measles or in modern vaccine production or research.
Millions Spent by NIH on Human Tissue Research
Tragically, using federal funds for such research is a much larger problem than the most recent FDA contract.
This year, the National Institute of Health (NIH)—which is a separate entity from the FDA but also part of the Department of Health and Human Services—said it will spend $103 million on human fetal tissue research.
The Center for Medical Progress (CMP), which in 2015 exposed Planned Parenthood’s fetal organ harvesting activities, said it plans to file a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain all relevant facts and details about how the $103 million will be spent.
Contact your lawmakers and urge them to continue efforts to protect the Personhood of the most innocent among us and to not treat them as research lab rats.
Sources: cnsnews.com; nyt.com; lifenews.com; christiannews.net.
By Wayne DuBois
Georgia Right to Life
Media Relations Advisor