Washington D.C., Sep 17, 2018 / 15:56 pm
The purchasing of aborted fetal tissue for use in research is 'abhorrent' and must stop, said 85 members of the United States House of Representatives in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA in July gave a $15,900 contract to Advanced Bioscience Resources (ABR) for "fresh human fetal tissue," which would be transplanted into mice in order to create human-like immune systems for research purposes. It is the eighth contract between the FDA and the company since 2012, and seven of the contracts appear to relate to the same or similar programs.
Federal law prohibits the sale of human fetal tissue for "valuable consideration." Furthermore, the letter states, Congress investigated ABR in 2016 as a part of their investigation into the fetal tissue procurement and late term abortion industries, and found ABR's practices to be unethical and possibly illegal.
The 2016 investigation was spurred after David Daleiden, a pro-life advocate and a journalist with the Center for Medical Progress, released a series of videos which called into question the fetal tissue procurement and sales practices of Planned Parenthood.
"ABR plainly admitted to Congress that it obtained tissue by collecting human fetal remains from abortion clinics, paying $60 per 'singe aborted fetus' - and then upselling the child's body parts separately to researchers at fees of $325 per 'specimen' - brain, eyes, liver, thymus and lungs," the letter states.
Congress referred ABR to the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the District Attorney of Riverside County, California for further investigation.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said Sept. 17 that the FDA is using taxpayer dollars "to fund a barbaric research method that treats babies like research guinea pigs."
More ethical methods of research exist, Smith said, such as developing human-like immune systems from human bone marrow or umbilical cord blood instead of obtaining tissue "through the destruction of unborn children."
Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., who was part of the House investigation into ABR in 2016, said that she was "alarmed" that the FDA would partner with a ABR, which has a "checkered history of purchasing the remains of aborted children and reselling the babies."
"While our letter calls on the FDA to cancel its contract with ABR, I would go the next step and call on all federal agencies including the National Institute of Health (NIH) to cease and desist in furthering the abhorrent and highly unethical practice of using aborted babies as research specimens. This is a grisly, disturbing, and unnecessary business," she added.
Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., said that companies such as ABR "have suffered no consequences" despite the findings of Congress' 2016 investigation.
"Considering President Trump's pro-life promises, the FDA should immediately cease all government business with ABR and no longer use any aborted fetal cells for future research," he added.
On Sept. 10, Daleiden said of the contract that it is "unconscionable that the United States government is still paying top-dollar in taxpayer money for the freshest, most high-quality dismembered baby hearts, lungs, livers, and brains."
