With support from members of the House of Representatives, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging the committee to include language to maintain the integrity of our nation’s medical research and provide protections for the unborn.

As revealed by the Select Panel on Infant Lives investigation, Planned Parenthood officials have admittedly changed abortion procedures to procure intact fetal baby parts for sale. These aborted baby parts are then purchased by tissue procurement business and sold “on demand” to researchers, some of which are federally funded. This disturbing business model has allowed abortion providers to profit from federally funded research.

Specifically, the letter, which requested that no funding be provided for research on fetal tissue obtained from an induced abortion, was sent to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies which has jurisdiction over the issue.

As stated in the letter, Luetkemeyer said, “Since your Subcommittee maintains jurisdiction over appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), we believe this year’s appropriations process offers opportunity to directly address the inhumane practice of trafficking infant baby parts. Currently, the NIH provides a portion of its annual appropriations to fund basic biology research using human fetal tissue. According to the NIH’s most recent funding report, $80 million of taxpayer dollars was directed towards this research in Fiscal Year 2015… That being said, we must ensure that we hold taxpayers’ dollars with highest regard and direct our limited resources to projects that not only better our country, but reflect the will of the people. The trafficking of aborted baby parts certainly does not accomplish either goal.”

Last week, Luetkemeyer introduced the Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act, which would allow the NIH to conduct research on donated stillbirth and miscarriage fetal tissue, but target the unethical practices of abortion providers by prohibiting authorization of research on fetal tissue obtained from an induced abortion.