In a controversy stirring sharp debate in Texas, Republican state lawmakers are calling for the immediate dismissal of Dr. Robert Bredt, the Medical Director of the Texas Medical Board (TMB), after revelations of his simultaneous employment with Planned Parenthood South Texas. Court documents unearthed in a legal battle between the TMB and Houston-based physician Dr. Mary Talley Bowden exposed Dr. Bredt’s position as Laboratory Medical Director at Planned Parenthood South Texas since 2011, raising ethical concerns about his dual leadership roles.
A Clash of Roles and Values
Dr. Bredt has served as Medical Director of TMB since 2012, tasked with ensuring ethical medical practices across the state. Yet his concurrent position at Planned Parenthood—a prominent abortion provider—has drawn fire from Texas lawmakers and pro-life advocates. The uproar comes amidst a lawsuit where Dr. Bowden challenged the TMB over what she called politically motivated discipline for her alternative COVID-19 treatments and opposition to vaccine mandates.
State Representative Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) was among the first to denounce Bredt’s dual employment, penning a December 30 letter to the TMB demanding his removal. “Dr. Bredt's role at Planned Parenthood raises serious concerns about his ethics and ability to maintain the impartiality and integrity required of his role,” Cain wrote. He emphasized that the TMB holds a critical responsibility to uphold high ethical standards in the medical profession and suggested that Bredt’s connection to Planned Parenthood compromises public trust.
Cain didn’t mince words about Planned Parenthood either, calling the organization a “criminal enterprise” for alleged violations of federal statutes prohibiting the shipment of abortion drugs and paraphernalia.
Pro-Life Leaders Rally Against Bredt’s Role
State Representative Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian), a vocal advocate for pro-life policies, amplified the calls for Bredt’s termination in a separate letter to Governor Greg Abbott. Harrison highlighted the incongruity of allowing an official associated with an abortion provider to regulate medicine in a pro-life state like Texas.
“It is indefensible a pro-life state like Texas has an abortionist regulating the practice of medicine,” Harrison wrote, urging Abbott to ensure no Planned Parenthood officials are employed in state agencies. “This fox must be removed from guardianship of the henhouse.”
Harrison also pointed to the broader implications of allowing such dual roles, emphasizing that Texas taxpayers should not inadvertently subsidize abortion-related activities. He has vowed to persistently pressure the TMB and Governor Abbott’s office until Bredt is removed.
Broader Implications for Medical Ethics
The controversy has sparked a broader debate about the role of political and ethical alignment in overseeing the medical profession. Pro-life advocates argue that Dr. Bredt’s Planned Parenthood ties are incompatible with Texas’s stringent pro-life laws, which have made abortion illegal and subject to criminal penalties since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
At the heart of the issue lies a fundamental question: Can someone affiliated with an organization at odds with the state’s pro-life stance objectively oversee the ethical practice of medicine in Texas? Critics argue that the answer is a resounding no.
What’s Next?
As of now, neither the TMB nor Governor Abbott has issued a public response to the demands for Bredt’s termination. However, with mounting pressure from lawmakers like Cain and Harrison, as well as public scrutiny from Texas’s pro-life community, the issue is unlikely to fade quietly. Harrison has promised daily phone calls to the TMB and frequent public reminders via social media until the matter is resolved.
