Cruz Leads Broad GOP Push to Remove Sanger Bust

Republicans have launched a new push to remove a sculpture of Planned Parenthood's founder, Margaret Sanger, from the Smithsonian.

Presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, are leading 24 other Republicans who call the bust of Sanger an outrage.

"There is no ambiguity in what Margaret Sanger's bust represents: hatred, racism, and the destruction of unborn life," Sen. Cruz said.

"Not only should we continue efforts to redirect funds from Planned Parenthood, an organization founded by Sanger that is currently under criminal investigation, we must also work to ensure that her inhumane life's work is in no way promoted," he said.

The group has issued a letter calling for Director of the National Portrait Gallery Kim Sajet to immediately remove the bust from the Gallery's "Struggle for Justice" exhibit.

"Ms. Sanger was an avowed advocate of eugenics and the extermination of groups of people she deemed as 'undesirables,'" the lawmakers point out in their letter.

"In a letter from 1939, Ms. Sanger stated, 'We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population,'" they added.

The renewed push follows a similar request by a group of black pastors from the group S.T.A.N.D., sent to the Smithsonian in August.

The new congressional letter to the Smithsonian states that it is designed to support those pastors in their cause.

"As they rightfully stated in their letter, Ms. Sanger was no hero. Her racist views have had a very real and devastating impact on the widespread destruction of unborn human life--especially in minority communities," the Republicans stated.

The lawmakers also tied their case to the ongoing Planned Parenthood baby body parts scandal.

"Renewed concern and scrutiny of Ms. Sanger's backgrounds stems from the recent ongoing revelations of Planned Parenthood's potential activities in trafficking of fetal tissue and baby body parts from abortions," the lawmakers' letter states.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is one of the signatories on the letter. She's also been a leader in the fight to investigate Planned Parenthood.

"There are still many questions yet to be answered surrounding Planned Parenthood's business practices and relationships with the procurement organizations. This is exactly why the House is investigating abortion practices and how we can better protect life," Blackburn stated.