Ark. Gov. Hutchinson: Cut Off Planned Parenthood's Medicaid Contract Even If It Violates Federal Laws
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has asked the state's Department of Human Services to end its Medicaid contract with Planned Parenthood, whose officials were shown discussing delivery of babies' body parts in secretly taped videos. StemExpress, a tissue company, is also cutting its ties with the abortion provider.
"It is apparent that after the recent revelations on the actions of Planned Parenthood, that this organization does not represent the values of the people of our state and Arkansas is better served by terminating any and all existing contracts with them," Hutchinson said in a statement Friday.
The Republican governor added that this includes "their affiliated organization, Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma."
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Hutchinson has not heeded the Obama administration's warning issued earlier to Louisiana and Alabama that their similar action may violate federal law.
However, DHS spokesperson Amy Webb said in a statement: "Based on the legal guidance from our counsel and a review of the contract, which allows either party to terminate for any reason with 30 days notice, we believe that we can terminate the provider agreement."
Planned Parenthood responded by calling Gov. Hutchinson's move a "political grandstanding," and saying that it "could have real and devastating consequences for women who rely on Planned Parenthood for birth control, cancer screenings, STD tests and other lifesaving care."
Hutchinson's spokesman J.R. Davis told Arkansas Times that the state anticipates a federal review, but "standing up for Arkansas values is most important to the Governor."
In one of the six videos released thus far, Dr. Deborah Nucatola of Planned Parenthood says: "You know, we've been very good at getting heart, lung, liver, because we know that, so I'm not gonna crush that part, I'm going to basically crush below, I'm gonna crush above, and I'm gonna see if I can get it all intact."
The Center for Medical Progress, which is behind the videos, says it has material to release six more such films.
Also on Friday, California-based StemExpress, which works with Planned Parenthood, said it is cutting its ties with the country's largest abortion provider.
"We value our various partnerships but, due to the increased questions that have arisen over the past few weeks, we feel it prudent to terminate activities with Planned Parenthood," the firm said in a statement. "While we value our business relationship with Planned Parenthood, that work represents a small percentage of our overall business activity and we must focus our limited resources on resolving these inquiries."
The House Energy and Commerce and the Senate Judiciary committees had asked the company to explain its ties with Planned Parenthood after the release of the videos, according to Politico.
