CNS News - Rep. Black on Dem's Claim of "Misogyny' Toward Cecile Richards: "Planned Parenthood Remains the Ultimate War on Women'

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By Lauretta Brown

Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) responded Wednesday to Rep. Gerald Connolly's (D-Va.) claim that "misogyny" was "rampant" in the questioning of Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards during her congressional testimony on Tuesday.

Black called Planned Parenthood "the ultimate war on women" saying claims of sexism are "trying to distract from this organization's wrongdoing."

"The disrespect, the misogyny rampant here today tells us what's really going on here," Connolly said of the questioning at the hearing.

"The questions directed at Cecile Richards yesterday were not misogynistic -- they were the exact questions that should be asked when an organization that receives over $500 million in annual taxpayer funding is implicated in illegal activities," Black told CNSNews.com via email.

"What's "misogyny' in my book is deceiving women at their most vulnerable moments and using them to advance a destructive agenda. That is exactly what Planned Parenthood does day in and day out," Black emphasized.

"Planned Parenthood remains the ultimate war on women and those who accuse Republican lawmakers of sexism for asking the tough questions are desperately trying to distract from this organization's wrongdoing," she added.

"I hope every American woman is watching today's hearing, because just the visuals, as well as the, the audios tell you a lot," Rep. Connolly said in the hearing on Tuesday.

"It -- my colleagues like to say there's no war on women. Look at how you've been treated as a witness." Connolly said to Cecile Richards, "Intimidation, talking over, interrupting, cutting off sentences, criticizing you because of your salary. How dare you? Who do you think you are? Making a professional salary as a head of a premier national organization, and daring to actually make decisions as the head of that organization? Lord almighty, what's America coming to? The disrespect, the misogyny rampant here today tells us what's really going on here," he said.

In its last annual report, Planned Parenthood said it performed more than 327,653 abortions in in its fiscal year 2013. The organization also reported that it received $528.4 million in government health grants and reimbursements for that year, which equaled about 41 percent of its income.

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