Planned Parenthood Says Clinics Receive $60 Per Fetus

Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards has argued to U.S. Congress this week that some of the organization's abortion clinics receive $60 reimbursement for fetal tissue donations, arguing that this figure only covers the costs associated with the tissue's procurement and transportation.

Richards made her claims in a letter to congressional leaders and members of a congressional committee set up to investigate Planned Parenthood's fetal tissue donation practices.

In the letter, Richards argues that the abortion provider does not profit from the donation of aborted fetal tissue.

"The California affiliate receives a modest reimbursement of $60 per tissue specimen from the [Tissue Procurement Organization], and the Washington affiliate receives no reimbursement. The four other affiliates whose programs ended after the release of the videos received lesser but comparable amounts," Richards writes in the letter. "The affiliate working with the research laboratory received no reimbursement. The others received reimbursements from TPOs ranging from $45 to $55 per tissue specimen."

"In every case, the affiliates report that these amounts were intended to recover only their costs, as allowed under the federal law and our guidance," Richards added.

The abortion provider also issued a report to the congressional leaders conducted by a private research company that claims the "undercover" videos recently created by the Center for Medical Progress activist group were in fact "manipulated" and therefore cannot be used as evidence against the abortion group.

The Center for Medical Progress has defended these claims, arguing that the videos were not manipulated.

"Planned Parenthood's desperate, 11th-hour attempt to pay their hand-picked 'experts' to distract from the crimes documented on video is a complete failure," David Daleiden, who heads the group's Human Capital series, said in a statement.