While Grothman said he’d like to defund Planned Parenthood at the federal level, he told Wisconsin Public Radio’s Joy Cardin that right now, “it’s not going to happen”.
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Planned Parenthood has said the videos were distorted and that its clinics only accepted money as reimbursement for expenses from donating fetal tissue for scientific research. Democrats, however, say President Barack Obama will veto current versions of bills that would strip Planned Parenthood of funding, USA Today reports. “Right now Planned Parenthood is a large recipient of Medicaid money, and Planned Parenthood clinics are responsible for the deaths of over 300,000 babies a year and the trafficking of the parts of these aborted babies”. The investigation found that all tissue from abortions was examined at a pathology lab then incinerated.
Republicans have targeted Planned Parenthood for years, but secretly recorded videos that raised questions about the organization’s handling of fetal tissue provided to scientific researchers have outraged anti-abortion Republicans and put them on the offensive in their efforts against the group.
Democrats, who maintain that the organization has done nothing wrong, and establishment Republicans, wary of shutting down the government should Congress arrive at an impasse, are likely to partner together to fully fund Planned Parenthood despite conservatives’ objections.
The governor’s office said it would maintain women’s health services even with the cuts.
Richards, who has been president of PPFA since 2006, testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on PPFA’s use of taxpayer funding.
Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., also has voted to block federal funds for Planned Parenthood. Likewise, this hearing seems to have had nothing to do with listening to providers of women’s health care.
The funding fight stems from a series of undercover videos released by an anti-abortion group.
On Tuesday, volunteers and supporters scheduled events in almost 90 cities and planned to give lawmakers more than 2 million signatures on “I Stand With Planned Parenthood” petitions.
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During a breakfast to unveil the website Tuesday morning, Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) said it’s time for the American people to “know the truth”.
