Republicans and Democrats sparred over funding for Planned Parenthood on Tuesday, using a House hearing to spotlight deeply personal questioning and testimony over abortion and health care.
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The videos show Planned Parenthood officials in Texas and other states describing how they provide fetal tissue from abortions for medical research.
Richards said none of the money Planned Parenthood transfers to its political arm comes from federal taxpayers. The report outlines how 45 public audits of Planned Parenthood affiliates, along with 57 audits of state family planning programs, found waste, fraud, and abuse to the tune of $129.7 million. Ranking member Elijah Cummings noted that most of the group’s taxpayer funds come through Medicaid reimbursements, which must be used on healthcare.
“My colleagues like to say there’s no war on women“. He added, “It’s a political organization”.
In an approaching campaign season in which both parties are competing for female votes, Democrats leapt to Richards’ defense. And Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., accused Chaffetz of “beating up on a woman, to our witness here today, for making a good salary”. Republicans are blasting the organization for allegedly selling fetal tissue for profit, which is prohibited by law.
The judge echoed that argument in his restraining order, issued after a hearing in Salt Lake City on Planned Parenthood’s request to block Herbert’s directive. Produced and posted online by an anti-abortion group, the videos purport to show Planned Parenthood doctors discussing the illegal sale of fetal tissue. She said that work is just a “minuscule” part of her organization’s services, which include sexual disease testing and the provision of contraception and abortions.
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster launched an investigation of Planned Parenthood in July, shortly after the first CMP video was released.
Instead, Boehner and McConnell opted for the pragmatic route – a bipartisan measure that steers clear of the furor over Planned Parenthood and avoids the risk of a partial government shutdown – over the opposition of the most hardline conservative Republicans. But House committees began working Tuesday on separate legislation that would cut most of the organization’s federal money and would be immune to Senate filibuster by Democrats.
Republicans favor shifting Planned Parenthood’s federal funds to community clinics, and they grilled Richards on why doing so would restrict access to care. That effort failed in the Senate, but House lawmakers will decide Wednesday on whether to shut down the government as part of the vote on another continuing resolution.
Governor Gary Herbert has been enjoined by Judge Clark Waddoups of the United States District Court for the District of Utah from halting federal funds to Planned Parenthood Association of Utah.
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Richards responded that Planned Parenthood follows the practice of most women’s health providers, who don’t offer mammograms in-house but instead send patients to radiological centers.
