CECILE RICHARDS: THIS THREE-YEAR EFFORT TO ENTRAP DOCTORS WAS COMPLETELY UNSUCCESSFUL

“The folks behind this are part of the most militant wing of the anti-abortion movement that has been behind the bombing of clinics, the murder of doctors in their homes, and in their churches.”

New York --- Today, Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, appeared on “This Week With George Stephanopoulos” this morning to discuss the latest attacks on women’s health by a group of extreme anti-abortion activists.

Key quotes:

“The folks behind this are part of the most militant wing of the anti-abortion movement that has been behind the bombing of clinics, the murder of doctors in their homes, and in their churches.”

“This was... a three-year effort to entrap doctors. They were completely unsuccessful.”

“And now they're using these very highly edited videos, sensationalized videos, to try to impugn and smear the name of Planned Parenthood. They have zero credibility. They set up a fake company.  They apparently used fake government IDs.  They've faked faxed tax filings and completely falsified what they were about.”

“They have repeatedly tried to entrap doctors. We've now seen that they repeatedly say, wouldn't you do this for cost -- for money? And the doctors say no. They do not.”

“But what I want to really make clear, George, is Planned Parenthood has broken no laws.  We have the highest standards.  The care -- and health care and safety of our patients is our most important priority.”

“In fact, Planned Parenthood has, for 99 years, been one of the largest non-profit health care providers of women in this country.  One in five women in this country depend on Planned Parenthood for health care, more than two and a half million people every single year.”

“Half of our health centers are in medically underserved communities in America, places like Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where women come for their basic well-women visits. And that's actually what's at stake.”

“Women in a very few places are allowed to donate fetal tissue for lifesaving medical research, research that is developing cures for Parkinson's and for Alzheimer's, even the Ebola vaccine. To me, this isn't something that should be criticized or made fun of. This is laudable that women and their families choose to make fetal tissue.

“You know, what doctors and clinicians face to actually provide health care to women in this country is already pretty incredible. But I think it's really important is the safety and the health of our patients and the women that we provide care to is essential.  And we take that, first and foremost, that's the most important thing.”

“These militant anti-abortion activists, on the other hand, do nothing to improve the health and safety of women.  And if they had their way, women could no longer come to Planned Parenthood for birth control services, for breast cancer screenings, for cervical cancer screenings or any other health care.”

To view the full interview, go to: http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/cecile-richards-undercover-video-controversy-32692756

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Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation's largest provider of sex education. With approximately 700 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.