White House won't say if Barack Obama would veto bill defunding Planned Parenthood

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White House accused the group's critics of attempting to play politics 'with some selectively edited videos
T'here's ample reason to think that this is merely the tried-and-true tactic that we've seen from some extremists on the right to edit this video'
Planned Parenthood appears to be 'living up to the highest ethical standard' as it pertains to the way it obtains the fetal body parts it sells to medical researchers, the president's spokesman said
Group behind the attacks on Planned Parenthood released its fourth today in what it has said will be a series of 12

By Francesca Chambers, White House Correspondent For Dailymail.com

Published: 14:18 EST, 30 July 2015 | Updated: 19:42 EST, 30 July 2015

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The White House called a string of videos depicting the process of tissue and organ harvesting from aborted fetuses the work of 'extremists' today and charged that there's no evidence that Planned Parenthood has broken any laws.

President Barack Obama's spokesman, Josh Earnest, told Daily Mail Online he did not know whether the president had seen any of the controversial videos, including a new one, released online this morning, but the president is aware of them and still believes the group is worthy of federal funding.

Earnest accused the group's critics of attempting to play politics 'with some selectively edited videos' and gave and reiterated the White House's opinion that the videos, produced by a pro-life group going by the name Center for Medical Progress, are not accurate representations of the conversations that took place.

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White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest called a string of videos depicting the process of tissue and organ harvesting from aborted fetuses the work of 'extremists' today

He wouldn't say whether President Barack Obama would legislation introduced in the Republican-controlled Senate this week to defund the group, however.

'The president obviously does not support that ongoing effort,' Earnest said, without taking a definitive stance on the issue.

The group behind the attacks on Planned Parenthood released its fourth, in what it has said will be a series of 12, video on the topic of fetal tissue harvesting today.

Each more gruesome than the last, the latest film shows a doctor separating out the usable body parts of an aborted fetus.

Past videos have shown Planned Parenthood officials apparently arguing over the price of the materials, seeking to make a profit off of them, which is illegal. By law, organizations preforming fetal harvesting procedures are only allowed to charge as much as is necessary to cover the cost of the operation and no more.

'There's ample reason to think that this is merely the tried-and-true tactic that we've seen from some extremists on the right to edit this video,' the White House said today, 'and selectively release an edited version of the video that grossly distorts the position of the person who's actually speaking on the video.'

Earnest repeated Planned Parenthood's claims that the videos don't show its officials violating the law - it says they haven't - and said the group appears to be 'living up to the highest ethical standard' as it pertains to the way it obtains the fetal body parts and tissues it sells to medical researchers.

There's 'not a lot of evidence right now that Planned Parenthood hasn't lived up to those standards,' he said.

In response to a previous question from Daily Mail Online about about the White House's reaction to the videos, he said, 'Any review of the policy that Planned Parenthood says they implement indicates that the views expressed on the videos is – or at least the way they're pictured on the videos – is entirely inaccurate.'

Part 4: Fetal body parts deal negotiated in secret footage

The White House wouldn't say today whether President Barack Obama would veto legislation taking away Planned Parenthood's federal funding while maintaining that he's not in favor of the legislation introduced in the Republican-controlled Senate this week that would do just that. Obama is pictured here earlier this week during a press conference in Africa

The top spokesman also indicated that while he is unsure whether President Obama has watched the videos, or who at the White House has - 'I suspect somebody has,' he later told another reporter- he has at least discussed the issue with the president.

And 'the president certainly will not support another effort by Republicans to try to defund an organization that offers important and needed health care services to millions of woman across the country,' he said.

Earnest further stated that he was unsure whether Planned Parenthood had been in contact with anyone from the White House regarding the alleged illegal activity in the videos, adding, 'I wouldn't be surprised if that's taken place but I'm not aware of any specific conversations.'

Republicans in the Senate hope to pass a bill halting the flow of more than $500 million in federal dollars to the group for health services it provides to underprivileged women and families before they leave for an extended break next week.

It's unclear whether they have the voters they need to overcome a Democratic filibuster of the legislation but plan to try on Monday anyway.

The bill would also have to pass the House of Representatives before it could be considered by the president. The House recessed until after Labor Day last night, making the issue a moot point until then, regardless of how the action in the Senate plays out.