WASHINGTON — Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a candidate for president, and Texas Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert, along with 24 House Republicans, sent a letter to the Director of the National Portrait Gallery Kim Sajet, calling for the immediate removal of Margaret Sanger’s bust from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery last week. The bust is on display in the Gallery’s “Struggle for Justice” exhibit.
In a statement, Republicans say that Sanger, a founder of Planned Parenthood, “believed in using contraceptives to control the population of minorities, or people she deemed as ‘undesirables.’ Specifically, Sanger advocated for the extermination of African-Americans.”
The letter was written by Sen. Cruz, Rep. Gohmert, and other conservative members and mirrors a recent petition of pastors and supporters affiliated with S.T.A.N.D. who also demanded that Sanger’s bust be removed.
“There is no ambiguity in what Margaret Sanger’s bust represents: hatred, racism, and the destruction of unborn life,” 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.”
“It is a complete and utter outrage to display a bust of Margaret Sanger in the National Portrait Gallery. In addition to this, it is appalling to honor her as part of the ‘Struggle for Justice’ collection,” Gohmert said. “One of the founders of Planned Parenthood, Mrs. Sanger portrayed deep-rooted racism by advocating birth control as a method for controlling the population of minorities.”