As of Wednesday morning, ABC, CBS, and NBC's morning and evening newscasts have yet to cover the third video from the Center for Medical Progress, which featured a whistle-blower's account of "picking" through the remains of aborted babies in order to find organs that could be sold for medical research. The Big Three networks have actually devoted more time to the slaying of a lion in Zimbabwe than all three videos from pro-life organization.
CNN's The Lead on Tuesday actually stood out for covering this latest video. Jake Tapper noted how "anti-abortion activists released a new undercover video purporting to show Planned Parenthood employees seeming to discuss per-organ pricing of aborted fetal tissue and body parts." Correspondent Chris Frates filed a full report on the whistle-blower's account, as well as undercover video of a "Planned Parenthood official discussing per-organ pricing." [video below]
Tapper introduced Frates's segment by noting that "forty anti-Planned Parenthood rallies are said to be scheduled across the country today. The rallies are demanding that Congress strip the organization of the more than half-a-billion dollars it receives in federal funding annually. " He added that "all of these videos, Planned Parenthood notes, appear to have been heavily edited, and Planned Parenthood insists that they do not profit from the sale of these tissues – which they say go to medical research."
The CNN correspondent noted both the new video and the rallies as he underlined that "abortion opponents on Tuesday upped the pressure to defund Planned Parenthood." He also forwarded the label of Planned Parenthood's supporters: "The latest graphic and highly-edited video from the activist group, the Center for Medical Progress, features an interview with a woman who used to work for a company that bought fetal tissues from Planned Parenthood."
Frates included clips from the latest video release, as well as a soundbite from Planned Parenthood Dawn Laguens (who appeared earlier in the day on CNN's New Day). He also pointed out the appearance of three Republican presidential candidates at the pro-life rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and included clips from them as well.
Near the end of his report, the CNN journalist pointed out that "Planned Parenthood hasn't yet released a formal statement on the newest video today. But in a conference call with reporters, an executive there said the video was put out by militant anti-abortion extremists, who took the conversations out of context."
The full transcript of Chris Frates's report from CNN's The Lead With Jake Tapper on Tuesday:
JAKE TAPPER: In other politics news today, anti-abortion activists released a new undercover video purporting to show Planned Parenthood employees seeming to discuss per-organ pricing of aborted fetal tissue and body parts. This comes after two similarly secretly-recorded videos released by the same group, the Center for Medical Progress, over the past two weeks.
Forty anti-Planned Parenthood rallies are said to be scheduled across the country today. The rallies are demanding that Congress strip the organization of the more than half-a-billion dollars it receives in federal funding annually. All of these videos, Planned Parenthood notes, appear to have been heavily edited, and Planned Parenthood insists that they do not profit from the sale of these tissues – which they say go to medical research.
CNN investigative correspondent Chris Frates takes a closer look.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN (from Center For Medical Progress video): I see someone come in-
CHRIS FRATES (voice-over): Fueled by a new undercover video and nationwide protest, (clip of protesters chanting at anti-Planned Parenthood rally) abortion opponents on Tuesday upped the pressure to defund Planned Parenthood. The latest graphic and highly-edited video from the activist group, the Center for Medical Progress, features an interview with a woman who used to work for a company that bought fetal tissues from Planned Parenthood.
HOLLY O'DONNELL, EX-PROCUREMENT TECHNICIAN, STEMEXPRESS, LLC: The harder and the more valuable the tissue, the more money you get. So, you're – if you can somehow procure a brain or a heart, you're going to get more money than just like – just like chorionic villi or umbilical cord.
FRATES: The video also includes a Planned Parenthood official discussing per-organ pricing.
DR. SAVITA GINDE: I think the per-item thing works a little bit, just because you can see how much we can get out of it.
FRATES: Planned Parenthood said today they don't use federal funds for abortion, nor profit from fetal tissue – saying any money received covers the procedures' cost.
DAWN LAGUENS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, PLANNED PARENTHOOD: The politicians have not wasted one minute trying to go from finding the facts to turning things into a political circus. (clip of protesters chanting, "Planned Parenthood has got to go!")
FRATES: Today, abortion opponents gathered in dozens of cities, calling on Congress to defund the group. The rally in front of the U.S. Capitol drew three Republican presidential contenders.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Today, the U.S. Department of Justice should open a criminal investigation into all of those individuals. (audience cheers and applauds)
BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Are we going to become a culture of life or a culture of death?
SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Today, I have good news: the Senate will vote on defunding Planned Parenthood before we go home in August. (audience cheers and applauds)
FRATES: Senate Republicans on Tuesday were looking for how to move forward on a vote to defund the group. And in the House, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell defended Planned Parenthood – noting that federal money does not fund abortions.
SYLVIA MATHEWS BURWELL, U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: What I think is important is that our HHS funding is focused on the issues of preventative care for women – things like mammograms and cancer prevention screenings.
FRATES (on-camera): Planned Parenthood hasn't yet released a formal statement on the newest video today. But in a conference call with reporters, an executive there said the video was put out by militant anti-abortion extremists, who took the conversations out of context.
TAPPER: Chris Frates, thank you so much for that report.
