Lankford Introduces Bill to Stop Federal Research Using Fetal Tissue from Abortions

WASHINGTON, DC – Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)  reintroduced the Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act to end federal taxpayers’ support for research involving human fetal tissue obtained from abortions and to close loopholes in the law that have allowed the trafficking of the body parts of aborted children to persist.

“No matter where Americans stand on the issue of abortion, we should agree that the buying and selling of the remains of aborted babies is wrong. It is appalling that after a procedure like abortion, children’s bodies are trafficked with taxpayer dollars and mutilated in federally-funded research. This bill will make sure that taxpayers’ money is not used to enable this heartbreaking practice,” said Lankford.

“The harvesting and trafficking of the body parts of unborn babies killed through abortion is heinous and unethical.” Hyde-Smith said.  “Taxpayer dollars for medical research should be spent on research that will deliver results for enhancing quality of life, instead of devaluing life for the sake of research.  This legislation would stop the Biden administration’s gross abuse of taxpayer funds.” 

The legislation comes amid the ongoing federal investigation into the University of Pittsburgh harvesting of tissue from aborted children for research; the Biden Administration’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) move in 2021 to eliminate Trump-era NIH restrictions and ethics advisory board involving human fetal tissue from abortions; and NIH plans to spend another $61 million on human fetal tissue research in 2024. The bill would prohibit all federal agencies from conducting, funding, approving, or otherwise supporting research involving human fetal tissue obtained from abortions, and close loopholes in federal law that the abortion industry has exploited to sell the body parts of aborted children for research.  The bill only applies to fetal tissue from abortions. Research on human fetal tissue from stillbirths and miscarriages is still remains permitted.

As the Senate’s most pro-life member, Lankford has been a leading voice in Congress for the protection of life. Lankford continues to stand up for children of all ages and at all stages of development. In 2015, Lankford delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor about a Planned Parenthood video that showed their abortion practices to harvest body parts, and ahead of the 2024 March for Life, Lankford delivered another speech on the importance of standing with every woman and for every child. 

Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Thune (R-SD), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Budd (R-NC), and John Kennedy (R-LA) are original cosponsors of the legislation.

The measure is supported by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Americans United for Life, Catholic Vote, March for Life Action, US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Students for Life Action, and Concerned Women for America LAC.

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