Chairman Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn, right, listens as Secretary of State John Kerry, left foreground, Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew, and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, testify at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 23, 2015, to review the Iran nuclear agreement.
Georgia Republican U.S. Senate candidate David Perdue, right, greets supporters as he takes the stage at his election night party, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Atlanta.Read more
Planned Parenthood protested in Tennessee's capital
U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga, Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and about 20 others have introduced legislation to defund Planned Parenthood after the release of what Isakson called "gruesome video footage detailing Planned Parenthood's role in the harvesting of the organs of unborn babies."
A Planned Parenthood official is heard on the video discussing the transfer of aborted fetal tissue, including organs, as well as discussing the cost structures for the transfer of the tissue.
In addition to stripping federal funding from Planned Parenthood, the Republican-led bill would ensure that funds no longer available to the organization would remain available to other women's health care service entities. Funds would still be available for diagnostic laboratory and radiology work, well-child care, prenatal and postpartum care, immunization, family planning, cancer screenings and STD testing, according to news releases from Corker and Isakson.
"The government should not be funding Planned Parenthood or any abortions in the first place," Isakson said. "These videos that have come to light are incredibly disturbing, and we should launch an immediate investigation into this organization's abhorrent activities."
Corker said he was "deeply disturbed" by the footage, as well as Planned Parenthood's "casual disregard for human life."
Corker and Isakson both signed a letter last week, along with 48 other Senators, urging U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to cooperate with ongoing investigations.
Critics have charged the videos, released by the Center for Medical Progress, were selectively edited. However, the group also released what it said were unedited videos.
When news of the videos broke two weeks ago, national Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards released a statement saying, "I want to be really clear: The allegation that Planned Parenthood profits in any way from tissue donation is not true. Our donation programs like any other high-quality health care providers follow all laws and ethical guidelines."
The group later clarified in a statement that Planned Parenthood affiliates can legally receive reimbursement for fetal tissue donations for additional expenses related to tissue donation, which can vary based on individual circumstance, as reported by The Hill.