Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds believe in protecting the sanctity of life and are appalled by the newly circulated video where a senior Planned Parenthood employee casually discussed the sale of parts of aborted fetuses. As elected officials with strong pro-life records – including signing a bill requiring parental notifications should a minor seek an abortion as well as legislation requiring the option to view a sonogram before a procedure – learning of this video was disturbing.
In Iowa, Planned Parenthood does not receive state funds for abortions. Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds have ensured that Planned Parenthood is never reimbursed for an abortion.? It is important to note that there have been zero taxpayer reimbursed Medicaid abortion procedures over the past two years.
Because Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds believe strongly that every life is worth protecting, they have asked the Iowa Department of Public Health to thoroughly review the funding the Legislature appropriated for women’s health and the Family Planning Block Grant to ensure it does not and will not ever fund abortions or operations related to abortion procedures.
Their statement was released to the press early July 17, 2015.