{"id":1340858,"date":"2022-02-25T05:35:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T10:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1340858"},"modified":"2022-02-25T07:57:32","modified_gmt":"2022-02-25T12:57:32","slug":"pennsylvania-lawmakers-must-not-let-pitt-bury-its-barbaric-experiments-on-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-lawmakers-must-not-let-pitt-bury-its-barbaric-experiments-on-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania Lawmakers Must Not Let Pitt Bury Its Barbaric Experiments On Babies"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpennsylvania-lawmakers-must-not-let-pitt-bury-its-barbaric-experiments-on-babies%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1340858&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/surgery-2233067_1280-1.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Revelations about the University of Pittsburgh\u2019s fetal tissue research <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/10\/13\/heres-what-we-know-about-pitts-potentially-criminal-fetal-experimentation-practices\/\">exploded<\/a> onto headlines last fall with physicians going so far as to suggest the institution may have received organs that were extracted from live fetuses. Others speculated that tissue may have come from abortions that violated federal anti-trafficking law, as well as other ethical standards.<\/p>\n<p>In the controversy\u2019s wake, Republican state Rep. Natalie Mihalek, a Pitt alum who sits on the university\u2019s board of trustees, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.repmihalek.com\/News\/20433\/Latest-News\/University-of-Pittsburgh-to-Undergo-Review-of-Fetal-Tissue-Research,-Mihalek-Announces\">announced<\/a> a purportedly \u201cindependent\u201d investigation into the university\u2019s fetal tissue research, stating that \u201cit is vital that these questions are answered surrounding this.\u201d In doing so, she lent a pro-life face to an investigation that received an array of criticism over its efficacy and independence.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"investigation-ignored-upmc-from-the-beginning\">Investigation Ignored UPMC from the Beginning<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear, however, why Mihalek supported this investigation, as her eventual reaction to its scope was highly critical, indicating much more work needed to be done. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cStrict compliance with the law may give comfort to some,\u201d she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.post-gazette.com\/news\/education\/2022\/01\/20\/Report-Pitt-research-into-controversial-issue-followed-all-protocols-and-practices\/stories\/202201200117\">told<\/a> the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, \u201cbut it does not satisfy those who, like myself, are concerned that the university is engaging in this practice to any degree.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Prior reporting had already <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/pittsburgh-investigation-fetal-tissue-probe-cone-silence\">noted<\/a> that Pitt\u2019s law firm likely wouldn\u2019t even probe the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), which supplies Pitt\u2019s human tissue bank. \u201c[W]e did not review the clinical decision-making or delivery of medical care, such as abortion, by individuals serving in their capacity as University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) employees,\u201d the law firm Hyman, Phelps,  and(HPM) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/gop-politicians-pittsburgh-fetal-tissue-probe\">said<\/a> in its report.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUPMC is a private, nonprofit corporation that operates hospitals and employs physicians, residents and fellows \u2026 Pitt has no role in managing or supervising the provision of medical services by UPMC personnel; therefore, our review did not include the activities conducted by individuals acting in their capacity as a UPMC employee.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The contrast between Mihalek\u2019s initial announcement and her comments to the Post-Gazette raises obvious questions about what she knew about the investigation and when. Was Mihalek aware that Hyman, Phelps, and McNamara wouldn\u2019t investigate UPMC? If not, why did she support the investigation in the first place?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"pitt-s-sadistic-experiments-on-babies\">Pitt\u2019s Sadistic Experiments on Babies<\/h2>\n<p>The most troubling allegations were about the abortion procedures, in which Pitt said it wasn\u2019t involved. That\u2019s despite their grant application boasting an ability to minimize the ischemic time (the time tissue retains body temperature after cutting off blood flow), and indicating they could obtain tissue from induction abortions. Those claims and a corresponding statement from the university prompted several physicians to speculate about live organ extraction. Nearly 100 members of Congress also <a href=\"https:\/\/womack.house.gov\/uploadedfiles\/university_of_pittsburgh_letter.pdf\">sent<\/a> the Biden administration a letter over trafficking concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Pitt has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and the law firm\u2019s report stated the university complied with relevant laws. But that wasn\u2019t good enough for Mihalek, who told the Gazette that a probe \u201ccannot and should not merely be a test of whether or not the university complied with the state and federal requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Do these comments mean that she will use her influence on the board of trustees to call for an additional investigation? It\u2019s difficult to tell. A month after news surfaced about the report, Mihalek appears to be missing in action. Her website and social media don\u2019t appear to have any public statements calling for either an investigation into UPMC or a more rigorous review of Pitt\u2019s practices. Her office did not respond to a Monday inquiry either.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"gopers-call-for-further-probing\">GOPers Call for Further Probing<\/h2>\n<p>Meanwhile, U.S. representatives like Chris Smith, R-N.J., who chairs the House Pro-Life Caucus, have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/gop-politicians-pittsburgh-fetal-tissue-probe\">likened<\/a> the investigation to a \u201cwhitewash.\u201d Cheryl Allen, a former Pennsylvania Superior Court judge, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.post-gazette.com\/opinion\/Op-Ed\/2022\/02\/14\/Pitt-fetal-experiment-report-inadequate-retired-Judge-Cheryl-Allen\/stories\/202202140011\">penned<\/a> an op-ed saying the investigation was inadequate. But outside of a handful of prominent figures like these, public criticism at the state level has been relatively sparse. Mihalek\u2019s silence, in particular, is deafening.<\/p>\n<p>Other state legislators were active in scrutinizing Pitt last year in relation to research involving fetal scalps grafted onto rodents. Republican state Rep. Kathy Rapp has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/pittsburgh-calls-investigation-fetal-tissue\">called<\/a> on the auditor general to probe funds obtained by the university. Her letter requesting the investigation highlighted that Pitt sought a disproportionately high number of minority fetuses, which the university said stemmed from those populations being most affected by kidney disease.<\/p>\n<p>Mihalek, however, appears to be the primary lawmaker publicly confronting the core of the controversy. She also seems to have neglected former UPMC therapist Ryan Navarro\u2019s concerns that both the university and the law firm encountered apparent conflicts of interest in reviewing fetal tissue research. <\/p>\n<p>For example, Navarro requested the board of trustees choose a different firm as a Pitt alum and HPM attorney, Michael Heesters, was working on the investigation. Heesters was ultimately listed as one of the authors on the final <a href=\"https:\/\/humancelltissueresearch.pitt.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/Regulatory%20Assessment%20of%20Human%20Fetal%20Tissue%20Research%20(00877347-2)%5b4%5d.PDF\">report<\/a>. Pitt, meanwhile, has balked at the potential conflict from Heesters.<\/p>\n<p>It also dismissed Navarro\u2019s concerns about ties between Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania, UPMC, and the university. In a statement to Fox News, Pitt previously said: \u201c[t]o ensure that these activities do not give rise to conflicts of interest or effort, the university has a robust process that requires disclosure of faculty\u2019s external engagements for review. Faculty who are employed by both Pitt and UPMC are subject to conflict reviews by both institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pitt has repeatedly maintained the university is a separate entity from the medical center. Still, questions have been raised about the relationship between the two given that multiple of Pitt\u2019s tissue bank locations are housed within UPMC facilities. Journalist David Daleiden\u2019s undercover work and Pitt\u2019s own statements about its relationships with UPMC and PPWP have also raised <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/pittsburgh-live-fetus-organs\">concerns<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"will-mihalek-join-the-scrutiny-now\">Will Mihalek Join the Scrutiny Now?<\/h2>\n<p>Will any of these relationships receive further scrutiny? Does Mihalek think they should? The state\u2019s Democrat administration apparently doesn\u2019t think UPMC and Pitt deserve added scrutiny. After last fall\u2019s reporting, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoshShapiroPA\/status\/1484556921285849089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">tweeted<\/a> \u201cabortion is healthcare.\u201d In November, Gov. Tom Wolf\u2019s Department of Human Services <a href=\"https:\/\/www.media.pa.gov\/pages\/dhs_details.aspx?newsid=769\">touted<\/a> its relationship with UPMC in maternal health services.<\/p>\n<p>When local media is relatively complacent and the university evades adequate investigation, who \u2013 other than pro-life legislators \u2013 will demand answers? At the federal level, the Health and Human Services Department has effectively ignored lawmakers\u2019 requests for documents related to Pitt\u2019s research, including information on abortions that HPM apparently avoided in its inquiry.<\/p>\n<p>In announcing the investigation, Mihalek arguably made herself the most important Republican politician responding to the issue. This likely wasn\u2019t an accident, as she\u2019s also a trustee and could help paint a picture of bipartisanship that would benefit both her and the university. Presenting yourself as a warrior against scandal may have its benefits, but it also carries responsibilities that Mihalek seems to be neglecting.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Sam Dorman is a writer based in the Washington D.C. metro area. His work has also appeared in Fox News Digital, The Washington Free Beacon, Yahoo News, and other outlets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Revelations about the University of Pittsburgh\u2019s fetal tissue research exploded onto headlines last fall with physicians going so far as to suggest the institution may have received organs that were<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1340858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1340858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1340858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1340858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1340858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1340858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1340858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}