The eleventh video

A colleague in Oregon, USA, Ward Ricker of Human Rights for All Ages has reminded me that December l0th is International Human Rights Day. I am not sure what, if anything, the Australian Human Rights Commission will do to mark the day, perhaps they will give out awards to "diversity" proponents and disability advocates, without of course addressing the induced abortions inflicted on babies in the womb who are diagnosed as suffering from a disability. So I intend to mark the day by speaking about this overlooked sector of human beings - a true human rights stand is to protect people at all stages of life, including in the womb.

On this topic there is sad news and good news. First the sad news

In the eleventh video released by the Centre for Medical Progress (CMP) in their undercover investigation of Planned Parenthood (its full name is Planned Parenthood Federation of America) CMP has proven that Planned Parenthood is more concerned with harvesting baby parts than preserving life. Their new video, the eleventh in the series, captures abortion doctor Amna Dermish at Planned Parenthood's abortuary in Austin, Texas, describing how she tries to keep specimens 'intact' to send to procurement companies.

It was trunk intact, so usually what I do, if it's a breech presentation, I'll remove the extremities first, the lower extremities, and then go for the spine and sort of bring it down that way," Dermish said. "I always try to keep the trunk intact," she continued. "Always trying to aim for the spine to bring it down. It just makes the procedure easier.

Dermish then said she hasn't been able to preserve the brain, but "it's something to strive for."

The most callous exchange in the video is when Dermish and an official at Whole Women's Health are discussing a development team's process of harvesting a baby's heart.

"One of our point of care persons is really into organ development," she explained. "She'll pull out kidneys, and heart and like heart we frequently see at nine weeks and she always looks for it."

"Well it's cute," the Whole Women's Health official said, laughing. "It's cute."

Sometimes the procedures don't go as planned and they have to improvise, Dermish explained: "Every once in a while if the dilation's bad you just do, I do whatever I can."

David Daleiden, the man behind the Planned Parenthood investigation, renewed calls for criminal charges to be brought against the abortion giant. "State-level criminal investigations must press charges, and Congress' new select committee must pursue a deep and comprehensive accounting of Planned Parenthood's atrocities against humanity."

Well the good news is that on Thursday night, December 3, 2015, the US Senate which for weeks had debated a Bill to defund 80 per cent of Planned Parenthood's federal funding through the reconciliation process which allows a Senate Bill to avoid minority filibusters, finally passed the Bill largely on a partisan 52-47 vote with Republican Senators Mark Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine voting against the Bill and Senator Bernie Sanders (an Independent who is vying for the Democrat nomination against Hillary Clinton for President of the USA) not voting. My source for this information is LifeSiteNews because the major US TV networks have virtually ignored the passage of the Bill.

The passage of the Bill to send the Planned Parenthood defunding measure to President Obama's desk has been hailed as a major victory by pro-life groups.

"Tonight's vote is a landmark victory for all who prioritize comprehensive women's health care over abortion industry profits," said Susan B. Anthony List president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, in a statement. "The debate over the reconciliation process has continued the national conversation on Planned Parenthood and established an important precedent for the next administration. If Americans elect a pro-life president next year, and safeguard our pro-life majorities in Congress, this Bill – and many others – could be law by 2017."

The Bill will now go to the House of Representatives , where passage is expected -- the House originally passed a reconciliation bill, but changes in the Senate version will force another vote -- and then on to President Obama's desk, where a veto is almost certain.

The bill eliminates Planned Parenthood's Medicaid funding; the abortion giant's Title X funding would remain intact.

In a statement, Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Kellie Fiedorek said that "the Senate is right to recognize that taxpayer money should go to fund local community health centers, not to subsidize a scandal-ridden, billion-dollar abortion business. Americans shouldn't be forced to give their money to Planned Parenthood, which has a long track record of abusive and potentially fraudulent billing practices," continued Fiedorek, "not to mention that it has also been caught in authenticated undercover videos trafficking aborted babies' body parts and has repeatedly failed to report the sexual abuse of girls."

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins described the vote as "a huge victory for unborn children, their mothers, and for taxpayers".

"For the first time during the Obama presidency, both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have approved legislation that begins to end the forced partnership between taxpayers and Planned Parenthood.

"President Obama will now bear the moral responsibility for sending our tax dollars to a group that has engaged in the selling of baby body parts. Even if the President vetoes the bill, we've still succeeded," he stressed, "because a Senate precedent has now been set for moving a similar measure forward when America finally has a President who understands the value of every person, born and unborn."

Priests for Life National Director Frank Pavone said, "It's an understatement to say that Planned Parenthood has shown itself unworthy of taxpayer support, the 325,000 lives it destroys every year are 325,000 reasons to redirect taxpayer funds to groups that provide health care without taking innocent lives."

Despite the veto promised by President Obama, Republicans consider the Bill's passage part of the party's effort to show conservative voters that the party will uphold its stated pro-life values and its long-held opposition to the Affordable Care Act.

Republican's are unlikely to make Planned Parenthood funding an issue in the next budget bill, since Democratic opposition to such a measure could force a partial government shutdown.

Defunding Planned Parenthood, a top priority of pro-life groups and advocates, will be a difficult task even if a pro-life President is elected in 2016. Republicans hold a 54-46 margin in the U.S. Senate, but next year's elections could see that change as Democrats are aiming to hold 10 seats -- and Republicans have to defend 24.

The passage of the Bill to defund Planned Parenthood has relevance to Australia. When he was in Opposition, our current Treasurer, the Hon Scott Morrison, was commendably critical of the Labor Government's funding of abortion in our overseas aid to International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International. I have written to him twice asking him what he is doing about such funding now that he is in Government. So far I have had no reply, but I have now sent copies of my letters to my local federal MP, the Hon Kelly O'Dwyer, who is Assistant Treasurer, and again requested a response.

I encourage other Australians who are also concerned about Australia funding abortion in developing countries to write to Mr. Morrison, Parliament House, Canberra, with copies to your local Federal MHR if he or she is in the Coalition, or to your nearest pro-life Senator.

Happy International Human Rights Day to all readers of Online Opinion.