Providing Amounts for Further Expenses of the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of the Judiciary, and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, I rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 933, which would increase funding by $800,000 for the Select Investigative Panel of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which more accurately should be called the ``Planned Parenthood Witchunt.'' The ostensible purpose of this Select Investigative Panel is to investigate and report on all issues related to medical procedures and practices involving fetal tissue donation and procurement; federal funding and support for abortion providers; and late-term abortions.

But make no mistake, the Republican majority's real purpose in establishing this panel is (1) to open another front in their ongoing War Against Women, (2) impede women in the exercise of their right to make their own choices when it comes to their reproductive health, and (3) to persecute, smear, and demonize Planned Parenthood.

We know this from our experience with the so-called ``Benghazi Committee,'' which the Republican leadership claimed was a nonpartisan inquiry into the facts and circumstances surrounding the 2012 tragedy in Libya which claimed the lives of four brave and heroic Americans.

We know now, as confirmed by the Majority Leader and the Speaker- apparent, that the Benghazi Committee was in reality part of politically-motivated strategy to disparage and damage the former Secretary of State and leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination that wasted $4.5 million of the taxpayers' money.
Madam Speaker, with so many pressing challenges facing our nation, wasting time and taxpayer money on another partisan witch hunt is a luxury we simply cannot afford.

The structure and powers to be given the Select Investigative Panel does not inspire any confidence that it will operate in a fair and impartial manner.

For example, the composition of the committee is lopsided in favor of the majority (8 Republican; 5 Democrat), instead of more equally divided as select committees are comprised.

Second, the chairman of the select panel is given subpoena power and deposition authority, including the authority to order the taking of depositions by a member of the select panel or the panel's counsel.

Third, the the chairman of the select committee is authorized to recognize members to question witness for periods longer than the traditional five minutes and to recognize staff to question witnesses.

Taken together, these unusual powers are susceptible to abuse and are valued tools to any party wishing to conduct a fishing expedition as opposed to a dispassionate search for facts.

Madam Speaker, let me save our Republican colleagues some time by pointing out the facts that an objective, fair-minded inquiry would reveal.

In 2011, approximately 1.06 million abortions took place in the U.S., down from an estimated 1.21 million abortions in 2008, 1.29 million in 2002, 1.31 million in 2000 and 1.36 million in 1996.

Based on available state-level data, an estimated 984,000 abortions took place in 2013--down from an estimated 1.02 million abortions in 2012.

Fetal tissue research has been scientifically accepted since the Regan Administration.

In 1988 the Human Fetal Tissue Transplantation Research Panel (or the Blue Ribbon Commission) sought to separate the question of ethics of abortion from the question ethics of using fetal tissue from legal elective abortions for medical research.

The report of this commission laid the foundation for the NIH Health Revitalization Act of 1993 (which passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support), prohibits the payment or receipt of money or any other form of valuable consideration for fetal tissue, regardless of whether the program to which the tissue is being provided is funded or not.

The law contains a limited exception that permits reimbursement for actual expenses (e.g. storage, processing, transportation, etc.) of the tissue.
These fees generally amount to less than $100.

Less than 1 percent of Planned Parenthood chapters participate in this area of research.
Planned Parenthood reports revenue by source (either government or non-government) rather than the manner of disbursement (income versus grants and contracts).

Payments from Medicaid managed care plans are listed as ``Government Health Services Grants and Reimbursements'' to reflect the ultimate source of the funds.

Planned Parenthood spends about $1.1 billion annually on 11.4 million services, 83 percent of which is spent on research, client services and education.

Client services are divided into six categories: Cancer Prevention and Screenings, STI Testing, Contraception, Abortion Services, Other Women's Health Services & Other Services.

According to Planned Parenthood financial statements from 2009 through 2014, 86 percent of Planned Parenthood's Services fall under the categories of Cancer Prevention and Screenings (12-16 percent), STI Testing for men and women (35-41 percent), and Contraception (32-35 percent).

Only about about 3 percent of its services fall under the Abortion category nationally.

Additionally, Planned Parenthood is already prohibited from spending federal funds on abortion services anyway.

Finally, Madam Speaker, H. Res. 933 is an irresponsible diversion from tackling and addressing the following critical challenges facing this Congress and the American people.

Funding to keep the government open expires on December 9 and Congress must find a way to keep the government open in the face of irresponsible opposition from 151 Republicans who previously voted to shut down the government rather than allow women access to affordable family planning and life-saving preventive health care.

Madam Speaker, we have far more important things to do than waste more time and taxpayer money on another partisan attempt to deprive women of their right to make their own decisions regarding their reproductive health that has been recognized as constitutionally guaranteed since 1973 by the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.

I oppose H. Res. 933 and urge all Members to join me in voting against this wasteful and irresponsible measure.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source