Tuesday on The Nightly Show, Larry Wilmore went after conservatives who want to defund Planned Parenthood, accusing them of potentially “stranding millions of women without health care.” The comedian mocked the Center for Medical Progress – the group behind the release of a series of videos appearing to show the organization trafficking fetal body parts – by linking them to ISIS: “And the group leading the charge against Planned Parenthood, the Center For Medical Progress, the most ironically named group since the ISIS Center for women's literacy, says – thank you – Planned Parenthood is profiting off of fetal tissue donation.”
Wilmore joked about the fact that Republicans have tried to defund Planned Parenthood on eight occasions the last eight years: “Another failed attempt to defund Planned Parenthood by the right? This is the eighth vote to defund them in eight years. Two more and they get a free breast exam taken away from a low-income woman.”
The Comedy Central personality delved a little more into the details of fetal tissue donation. Wilmore saw no issue with joking about the body parts of unborn babies: “I think I need to know what fetal tissue donation is used for. I mean, why would people buy baby body parts? I mean it must be something horrible, right? Like decorations or accessories, right?”
Eventually Wilmore moved on to the standard liberal talking points about the supposed “attack” on Planned Parenthood:
These attacks don't seem to be revealing any illegal activity. Instead they are reveling in shaming women, their health practitioners and doctors. It's as manipulative, infuriating and sadly predictable as that love triangle on Orange Is the New Black.
After playing a quote from Jeb Bush, who argued that we don’t need to give half a billion taxpayer dollars to women’s health issues, Wilmore exploded: “You are right! We need more. We need more than half a million. Gosh. If you get rid of Planned Parenthood I’m afraid you will be stranding millions of women without healthcare.”
The relevant portions of the transcript are below.
Comedy Central
The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore
August 5, 2015LARRY WILMORE: Now, right now, Planned Parenthood is under attack, like Meek Mill on a Drake diss track. Alright? You know what I am saying? Here is the latest.
REPORTER: On Capitol Hill the senate blocked a Republican effort to shut off federal funds for Planned Parenthood.
WILMORE: Another failed attempt to defund Planned Parenthood by the right? This is the eighth vote to defund them in eight years. Two more and they get a free breast exam taken away from a low-income woman. Just let that one marinate for a little bit. Let it marinate. Alright. So what is the GOP's latest defunding excuse? The uproar was triggered by videos that showed Planned Parenthood staffers talking about selling fetal body parts and tissue donated by women who had abortions.
REPORTER: Planned Parenthood claims they were talking about reimbursements for tissue storage and transport.
WILMORE: Okay. So they are being accused of selling body parts from abortions and they are claiming they are not, they are only reimbursed for costs. And the group leading the charge against Planned Parenthood, the Center For Medical Progress, the most ironically named group since the ISIS Center for Women's Literacy, says – thank you – Planned Parenthood is profiting off of fetal tissue donation.
Alright. Well, somebody is lying. Right? I will tell you what. I think I need to know what fetal tissue donation is used for. I mean, why would people buy baby body parts? I mean it must be something horrible, right? Like decorations or accessories, right? It’s got to be something, otherwise why would anybody go undercover to make a video about it unless it was for something bad?
BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN (D-NJ): Using tissue specimen have been very helpful in research, Alzheimer's disease, HIV, other diseases.
REPORTER: NIH funded 160 different projects that used fetal tissue to research treatments from everything from HIV to glaucoma.
WILMORE: These attacks don't seem to be revealing any illegal activity. Instead they are reveling in shaming women, their health practitioners and doctors. It's as manipulative, infuriating and sadly predictable as that love triangle on Orange Is the New Black. Now, the defunding vote failed last night, but I want to know, how much government funding does Planned Parenthood get anyway? Planned Parenthood received $528 million last year from the government. $528 million? Well how much of that is going to abortions? Like $527 million? I mean, because that's what it seems like from what they are saying.
REPORTER: So that $500 million goes to mammogram services, it goes to contraceptive services, it cannot go towards abortion.
WILMORE: But look, let's be honest about this. Let’s keep it a hundred, you guys. For many low-income women, Planned Parenthood is one of the only resources to get health services, and even though this vote failed yesterday the attempt to get rid of it is only going to continue. You know, I think the Republican candidates can say it a little better.
[...]
JEB BUSH: I am not sure we need a half a billion dollars for women's health issues.
WILMORE: You are right! We need more. We need more than half a million. Gosh. If you get rid of Planned Parenthood I’m afraid you will be stranding millions of women without healthcare.
