Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, is calling for a federal inquiry into Planned Parenthood’s alleged provision of fetal tissue to the University of California San Diego in return for “valuable consideration” while also retaining intellectual property rights over the tissue.
Rubio expressed his concerns in a letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm, which was first shared by The Daily Signal. Rubio emphasized that such actions if verified, would starkly contravene federal statutes banning the exchange of fetal tissue for compensation.
In a 2009 agreement between the University of California San Diego and Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, it was arranged that Planned Parenthood would supply “fetal and placental tissue” for the university’s research, aiming to derive cell lines and analyze genetic information.
Rubio highlighted that under this contract, Planned Parenthood claimed ownership over all related intellectual property, including potential patents. The arrangement also stipulated that the university would acknowledge Planned Parenthood as the tissue source in any resulting academic publications, as reported by The Daily Signal.
Rubio underscored that federal legislation prohibits the procurement or transfer of human fetal tissue for valuable consideration, pointing out that this specific term’s inclusion in the contract is particularly troubling due to its legal implications.
Additionally, Rubio noted that this partnership seems to extend beyond a simple contractual agreement, indicating a deeper collaboration between Planned Parenthood and UCSD. Documented correspondence reveals regular meetings and discussions concerning research progress.
Rubio also referenced a document indicating a recent financial contribution from the university to Planned Parenthood and mentioned an ongoing investigation into the University of Pittsburgh’s research practices involving fetal tissue and its association with Planned Parenthood.
He urged the Department of Justice to investigate several aspects of this relationship, including the specifics of the tissue’s utilization, the financial transactions between the entities, and whether any federal funding supported the research.
This issue is under heightened scrutiny after the Biden administration in 2021 reversed Trump-era restrictions on fetal tissue research, reauthorizing studies that could utilize tissue from elective abortions for researching treatments for various diseases, as reported by The New York Times.
