Sen. James Lankford, the Republican from Oklahoma who co-authored the bill to defund Planned Parenthood, says the Obama administration cares more about Cecil the lion than they do unborn children.
"It is remarkable to see that they see the value of a lion in Zimbabwe more than they would see a human child that's an American," noted Lankford on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins on Monday when asked about the Obama administration.
"And the focus over and over again is that can't be a child. And I think they just don't want to admit that they can look in and see a beating heart, and see lungs, and see a liver, and see hands, and feet, and count fingers, and toes. They would still say 'that can't be a child' because if they ever admit that that's a child then they have to confront the horrific reality of abortion for so many years in America."
The bill to defund Planned Parenthood failed to overcome a procedural vote Monday evening. The vote took place in response to four videos released over the past month by the Center for Medical Progress, which purport to show Planned Parenthood employees discussing the illegal sale of fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood has said the videos, shot by undercover antiabortion activists, were deceptively edited and merely show legal repayments for handling tissues that are donated for research.
"That child is more important than Cecil the lion," Lankford continued. "That child is more important than Shamu the whale at SeaWorld. That child is more important than wild horses out on federal property. That is a child. And if we are going to say in one moment we care about early childhood education and nutrition supplements for infants, we need to also in the same breath say we care about that child before we can physically see them as well and recognize them as a child."
