By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee has announced plans to investigate a 37-page report issued last week by Americans United for Life (AUL) which outlines Planned Parenthood’s long record of violating state laws in its abortion practice.
CNSNews.com is reporting that Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), chairman of the Committee, wants his committee to examine the report which was released last Thursday and distributed to every member of Congress.
“The report outlines Planned Parenthood’s record of violating state sexual assault and child abuse reporting laws, and of encouraging young girls to lie about their ages to circumvent state reporting laws,” Stearns said.
AUL’s legal team reviewed “two decades of reports, audits, and financial statements regarding Planned Parenthood,” he said, adding that the report contains “egregious abuses of taxpayer funds by Planned Parenthood.”
Stearns indicated that a hearing may be needed to dig deeper into the questions and allegations raised by the report.
“I believe my Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee should review the findings of this report and possibly hold a hearing on why taxpayers are funding Planned Parenthood with its record of abuse and violations of state laws,” Stearns said. “The American people deserve a concrete reason for funding Planned Parenthood; a reason I do not believe (exists).”
Kristi Hamrick, AUL spokeswoman, welcomed the possibility of a hearing and explained why her group did the study.
“The American taxpayer is entangled with the abortion issue, and it’s a bipartisan issue. More than 70 percent of Americans–pro-life and pro-choice–agree that they don’t want their money subsidizing the abortion industry. This came out during the health-care debates which we watched over Obamacare,” Hamrick told CNSNews.com.
“And so Americans United for Life decided to take a look at the number one abortion industry provider–Planned Parenthood. They do one-quarter of the abortions in America and receive more than $363 million dollars in taxpayer support. The question is: does the abortion industry deserve the generosity of the American taxpayer? What are they doing with the more than $363 million dollars that they receive?”
She added: “Planned Parenthood says it’s this benign organization that helps women and girls, and we say, ‘Prove it.’ Let’s take a look at the record.”
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