Wisconsin governor and presidential candidate Scott Walker called an undercover video that purports to show Planned Parenthood's national medical director discussing the sale of fetal body parts harvested from abortions "absolutely horrifying and disgusting."
Walker further added Tuesday that Democrats who voted to fund the organization owe the American public an explanation.
"This is absolutely horrifying and disgusting. Planned Parenthood and the Democrats who vote to fund this organization owe the American people an explanation for these heinous, and possibly illegal, actions," Walker said in a statement to BuzzFeed News Tuesday.
"Practices like this cannot be tolerated, which is why as governor, I defunded Planned Parenthood."
An undercover video recorded a year ago and released Tuesday morning by the Center for Medical Progress shows Dr. Deborah Nucatola, the senior director of medical services at Planned Parenthood, speaking in detail about fetal body parts, how they are harvested from abortions, and the costs associated with that procedure, with actors pretending to be from a fetal tissue procurement company. Planned Parenthood said Tuesday the video misrepresents their participation in tissue donation programs.
Walker, who an aide noted co-sponsored legislation to ban the sale of fetal parts when he was a state lawmaker, spoke in his presidential announcement speech of how as governor he "defunded Planned Parenthood and enacted pro-life legislation."
Other GOP presidential candidates responded to the controversy Tuesday on Twitter:
It's time for the American people to demand Congress take action. It's time to defund Planned Parenthood! (1/7)
This is a shocking and horrific reminder that we must do so much more to foster a culture of life in America: http://t.co/2BeGBHlYfs
Always have been & always will be in favor of defunding @PPact & their destruction & now exploitation of human life. https://t.co/sL8LWW3w0b
Congress should investigate and defund Planned Parenthood: https://t.co/VTwyWyqUOv
It is because of stories like this that I signed legislation defunding Planned Parenthood in the state of Texas http://t.co/EDiqUfWN5j
Here's my full statement on today's tragic and outrageous Planned Parenthood news. https://t.co/cs8zUmUNNa
"Huckabee: Selling Unborn Body Parts 'Grotesque'" http://t.co/vxLkRnBkKm #ProLife #PlannedParenthood #ImWithHuck
#PlannedParenthood and their enablers must be stopped from these barbaric practices. #HealInspireRevive