Republicans bolted out of the gate with a lot more energy at a second Planned Parenthood-prompted congressional hearing Thursday, after an initial panel last week fell somewhat flat.
Anti-abortion activists privately admit that last week’s panel, held by the House Judiciary Committee, lacked focus and punch — a disappointment because they’re hoping to keep momentum going this fall against Planned Parenthood for its involvement in supplying aborted fetal tissue.
But at this week’s hearing, convened by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Republicans were determined to keep the focus on graphic images and statements portrayed in the undercover videos that have targeted the women’s health and abortion provider and prompted an effort to strip the group’s federal funding.
Rep. Joe Pitts, health subcommittee chairman, did that in a somewhat unconventional way — by airing three clips from the videos during the hearing itself, just after the witnesses had given their opening statements.
Made by anti-abortion investigator David Daleiden, more than 12 hours of undercover footage features top Planned Parenthood officials discussing how some clinics are compensated for providing aborted fetal tissue to human tissue companies.
Pitts chose one clip showing former StemExpress employee Holly O’Donnell saying she was asked to dismember a fetus that remained nearly fully intact after an abortion procedure. Two other clips showed Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood’s director of medical services, discussing how she avoids crushing the fetal body parts she supplies to biomedical companies.
“It gives me chills to think about how somebody could remove their organs,” Pitts said after the clips were shown in the hearing room. “None of us can forget the images and words we see.”
Democrats objected to the clips being aired, saying they didn’t help members decide whether to support or oppose two bills being considered by the subcommittee. As the footage was playing, Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., asked Pitts to end it.
“We don’t have any context for this,” Castor said. “What we understand is these are manufactured videos. I would object and say you need to run these by the minority so we can provide some context.”
The legislation, from Reps. Marsha Blackburn and Renee Ellmers, would strengthen the federal partial-birth abortion ban as well as a 2002 law requiring medical providers to give life-saving care to infants born alive after a botched abortion.
Under the bills, federal funding through Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program would be withheld from any doctor who violated either law. States would also be allowed to block Medicaid funds from doctors suspected of violations.
Republicans are focusing on the legislation amid ongoing congressional investigations into Planned Parenthood and an effort by conservatives to strip federal funds from the group in a must-pass spending bill, which could result in a government shutdown.
On Friday, the House is gearing up to pass two separate pieces of legislation, one defunding Planned Parenthood clinics for one year and the other strengthening penalties for health providers who violate the 2002 Born-Alive Infants Protection Act.
Democrats are protesting all of the efforts — but particularly slammed Republicans on Thursday for failing to produce any hard evidence yet that Planned Parenthood has broken any laws. It’s not illegal to be compensated for the overhead costs of providing fetal tissue; just for profiting from it.
“The committee has received no evidence to support the allegations that fetal tissue was procured without consent,” said subcommittee ranking member Gene Green, D-Tex. “I think this is a new low for this committee.”
But Republicans insisted their investigations have just started and will keep going strong for some time to come.
“Statements have been made to indicate the investigation is complete,” said Rep. Tim Murphy, who is heading up one of the probes, as chairman of the Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee. “It is far from complete … at this point we simply cannot conclude there has been no wrongdoing.”
