PolitiFact: Fact-checking claims in Planned Parenthood funding fight

FORT MYERS, Fla.-  A series of secretly recorded and highly edited videos by anti-abortion activists has Planned Parenthood under fire and under the microscope.

The videos claim to show Planned Parenthood employees discussing the sale of fetal body parts.

“This video is absolutely shockingly inhumane,” Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., said.

Republicans want to pass legislation to cut off federal funding to the organization.

During a July 29 Senate floor debate, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. argued that taking money away from Planned Parenthood would leave some women without the healthcare they need.

Planned Parenthood “is the healthcare backbone for American women.,” Reid said. “About 30 percent of women, that’s their health care.”

Someone wrote in saying that sounded high, asking our team of independent researchers at PolitiFact to look into it.

Our research looked at data from the 2013 Census, and found 30 percent of women 15 and older would work out to about 39 million women.

“Planned Parenthood doesn’t see that many, not by a long shot,” PolitiFact reporter Joshua Gillin said.

According to Planned Parenthood’s 2013 statistics, they saw about 2.7 million patients.

” In this case when the difference between the number is 30 percent and 2 percent, that’s just way off the mark,” Gillin said.

“When it’s just that far and that misleading, that earns our pants on fire.”

Gillin explained the difference between a FALSE rating on the Truth O Meter, and a PANTS ON FIRE as something that’s not only wrong, but “makes a ridiculous claim.”

Reid’s office tells PolitiFact he was speaking off the cuff and got the talking point wrong.

PolitiFact says he really got it wrong.

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