ALBUQUERQUE, NM– Yesterday, New Mexico legislators held a press conference on the House floor at the New Mexico Capitol with Congressman Steve Pearce and New Mexico Alliance for Life’s Elisa Martinez to announce legislation to withholding funding from UNM Health Science Center (UNM HSC).
New Mexico pro-life legislators will propose legislation to withhold funding from UNM HSC, if questions and concerns regarding public records and violations of federal and state law are not addressed. Leaders addressed the fact that the congressional Select Panel on Infant Lives sent two criminal referrals to Attorney General Hector Balderas for UNM HSC and Southwestern Women’s Options last year– yet UNM HSC officials have made no corrective action to address these issues.
“UNM Health Science Center in collaboration with Southwestern Women’s Options has not provided a legal consent form to hundreds and likely thousands of New Mexico women to donate their aborted infants’ body for research,” said Elisa Martinez, NMAFL executive director, “As a woman and taxpayer of New Mexico, I demand accountability and that these practices that take advantage of women end. The majority of New Mexicans do not want our tax dollars used to exploit women and take human lives.”
“There is absolutely zero accountability at UNM Health Sciences,” said Representative David Gallegos, “UNM’s refusal to give an open and honest accounting of their abortion, research and procurement practices to state and congressional legislators is appalling.” Gallegos continued, “Holding UNM accountable is an almost impossible task, it appears that our only recourse is to go after their state appropriated funds.”
“Dr. Roth and his staff, while stiff-arming us for records requests that we needed to exercise proper oversight, at the same time as a member of the appropriations committee I was receiving requests from UNM, for increased funding in a lot of their areas, “said Representative Dennis Roch, “They certainly didn’t mind talking to legislators about their need for dollars, but they certainly wouldn’t give us any answers when we had questions about their ethical practices.”
The UNM Board of Regents and UNM HSC officials have denied access to public records to New Mexico legislators, along with Congressman Pearce. UNM HSC has also refused to comply with public information requests filed by NMAFL to the point that NMAFL has filed a
lawsuit against UNM HSC. NMAFL has worked closely with state legislators since 2015 in exposing the collaboration between University of New Mexico Health Science Center and Southwestern Women’s Options in their aborted infant harvesting collaboration and other issues. Video from the press conference can be viewed
here.
