White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday dismissed concerns from Catholic bishops about the administration’s decision to reverse the Trump-era ban on using fetal tissue from elective abortions for research.
A reporter asked about the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' statement that said it’s “deeply offensive to millions of Americans for our tax dollars to be used for research that collaborates with an industry built on the taking of innocent lives.”
He further pointed out that these comments came from “leaders of the president’s own faith.”
“How does the White House respond to that criticism?” the reporter wondered.
"Look, I think the White House respectfully disagrees and we believe that it’s important to invest in science and look for opportunities to cure diseases, and I think that’s what this is hopeful to do,” she responded.
Owen Jensen points out that @USCCB, "the leaders of the president's own faith," condemned Biden's move to use tax dollars for research using aborted baby tissue.
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) April 27, 2021
Psaki: "the White House respectfully disagrees" with the Catholic Church on this one. pic.twitter.com/lbwftV8A2y
While Democrats cheered the administration's decision to lift the ban earlier this month, Tom McClusky, president of March for Life Action, blasted the move.
“This type of experimental research is a gross violation of human dignity and is not where the majority of Americans want their tax dollars being spent," he said in a statement. "The government has no business creating a marketplace for aborted baby body parts.”