TED CRUZ EMBRACES DEBUNKED VIDEOS IN ATTACK ON MARCO RUBIO

Washington, DC --- Last night, at the Bob Jones University Forum in Greenville, S.C., Ted Cruz invoked the discredited anti-abortion videos produced by indicted criminal David Daleiden in order to attack Marco Rubio for “not trying hard enough to defund Planned Parenthood.”

Statement from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund:

“There’s a reason Ted Cruz’s out-of-touch agenda failed, and it isn’t because of Marco Rubio. The American people have no appetite for preventing women from accessing cancer screenings or birth control -- especially when you’re relying on lies and indicted criminals to do so. These videos were fake, the accusations lies, and Ted Cruz should be ashamed of himself. Even after the extremists behind these videos were arrested on felony charges, and Planned Parenthood was cleared of all wrongdoing, Cruz is still embracing reckless and dangerous rhetoric to attack the basic, life-saving health care that millions in this country rely on.”

Earlier this month a grand jury in Texas cleared Planned Parenthood of all wrongdoing --- and instead indicted the makers of the videos on felony charges. The makers of the videos were arrested and posted bail last week.

Officials in twelve states (Nevada, Kansas, Florida, Ohio, Washington, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri and South Dakota) have concluded investigations into claims that Planned Parenthood profited from fetal tissue donation and each one has cleared Planned Parenthood of wrongdoing. Officials in eight states (California, Iowa, Delaware, Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Colorado) have declined to even investigate citing a lack of any evidence to suggest wrongdoing.

Cruz carried out an unsuccessful and unpopular crusade to “defund” Planned Parenthood last year — threatening to shut down the government over whether or not low-income, uninsured individuals and those enrolled in Medicaid could continue to turn to Planned Parenthood health centers for basic preventive care like breast exams, lifesaving cervical cancer screenings, and birth control or from participating in specific public health programs, such as family planning programs and sex education programs. Planned Parenthood provides birth control, cancer screenings, annual exams, and other high-quality health care services to 2.5 million people a year at more than 650 nonprofit community health centers nationwide.

Despite repeated attacks by Ted Cruz and anti-abortion extremists, 14 national polls have shown widespread popular support for Planned Parenthood and the care it provides --- and strong opposition to attempts to block patients from accessing care at the non-profit health care provider.