[Pages H6869-H6879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ESTABLISHING A SELECT INVESTIGATIVE
PANEL OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I
call up House Resolution 461 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

H. Res. 461

Resolved, That there is hereby established a Select
Investigative Panel of the Committee on Energy and Commerce
(hereinafter ``select panel'').
Sec. 2. (a) The select panel shall be composed of not more
than 13 Members, Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner
appointed by the Speaker, of whom not more than five shall be
appointed on the recommendation of the minority leader. Any
vacancy in the select panel shall be filled in the same
manner as the original appointment.
(b) Each member appointed to the select panel shall be
treated as though a member of the Committee on Energy and
Commerce for purposes of the select panel.
(c) No member may serve on the select panel in an ex
officio capacity.
(d) The Speaker shall designate as chair of the select
panel a member elected to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce.
Sec. 3. (a) The select panel is authorized and directed to
conduct a full and complete investigation and study and issue
a final report of its findings (and such interim reports as
it may deem necessary) regarding--
(1) medical procedures and business practices used by
entities involved in fetal tissue procurement;
(2) any other relevant matters with respect to fetal tissue
procurement;
(3) Federal funding and support for abortion providers;
(4) the practices of providers of second and third
trimester abortions, including partial birth abortion and
procedures that may lead to a child born alive as a result of
an attempted abortion;
(5) medical procedures for the care of a child born alive
as a result of an attempted abortion; and
(6) any changes in law or regulation necessary as a result
of any findings made under this subsection.
(b) The chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce shall
cause any such report to be printed and made publicly
available in electronic form.
Sec. 4. Rule XI and the rules of the Committee on Energy
and Commerce shall apply to the select panel in the same
manner as a subcommittee except as follows:
(1) The chair of the select panel may authorize and issue
subpoenas pursuant to clause 2(m) of rule XI in the
investigation and study conducted pursuant to section 3,
including for the purpose of taking depositions.
(2) The chair of the select panel, upon consultation with
the ranking minority member, may order the taking of
depositions, under oath and pursuant to notice or subpoena,
by a member of the select panel or a counsel of the select
panel. Such depositions shall be governed by the regulations
issued by the chair of the Committee on Rules pursuant to
section 3(b)(2) of House Resolution 5, One Hundred Fourteenth
Congress, and printed in the Congressional Record. The select
panel shall be deemed to be a committee for purposes of such
regulations.
(3) The chair of the select panel may, after consultation
with the ranking minority member, recognize--
(A) members of the select panel to question a witness for
periods longer than five minutes as though pursuant to clause
2(j)(2)(B) of rule XI; and
(B) staff of the select panel to question a witness as
though pursuant to clause 2(j)(2)(C) of rule XI.
Sec. 5. Service on the select panel shall not count
against the limitations in clause 5(b)(2)(A) of rule X.
Sec. 6. The select panel shall cease to exist 30 days
after filing the final report required under section 3.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from North Carolina is
recognized for 1 hour.
Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the
customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter),
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During
consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose
of debate only.

General Leave

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
There was no objection.
Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, H. Res. 461 provides for the creation of a
select investigative panel of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The
resolution ensures the House exercises one of its most fundamental
constitutional responsibilities: oversight of the use of Federal funds
and compliance with Federal law.
Undercover investigations have revealed that an organization that
receives hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars annually, Planned
Parenthood, has also been taking the remains of unborn children and
selling them to tissue collection firms.
Its staff has reportedly even altered their medical procedures to
more effectively dismember unborn children, with one abortionist
saying: ``We have been very good at getting heart, lung,
liver...because we know that, so I'm not gonna crush that part, I'm
gonna basically crush below, I'm gonna crush above, and I'm gonna see
if I can get it all intact.''
There are also allegations that children may have been born alive and
left to die in order to harvest their tissue.

[[Page H6870]]

How can we in Congress ignore these charges? It is clear that a full
investigation is not only warranted, but imperative, into these issues.
Even if these abortion providers somehow managed to comply with all
Federal laws while dismembering children, it is clear we need to learn
more about their barbaric tactics so we can amend those laws and ensure
practices like these never happen again, particularly by organizations
receiving millions from U.S. taxpayers.
Madam Speaker, in order to effectively continue the oversight that
the House has begun into these issues, H. Res. 461 would establish a
select investigative panel at the Committee on Energy and Commerce to
provide a full investigation and study into these allegations. This
panel would be made up of 13 members appointed by the Speaker, 5 of
which will be by the recommendation of the minority leader and chaired
by a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Its operations
will not require any additional appropriations of funds.
The investigation will be focused on medical procedures and business
practices of entities involved in fetal tissue procurement; Federal
funding and support for abortion providers; practices of providers of
second- and third-trimester abortions, including partial birth
abortions; medical care provided to children born alive as a result of
an attempted abortion; and necessary changes in law or regulation
identified by this investigation.

{time} 1600

This type of investigation or special panel is far from
unprecedented. When in the majority, my colleagues across the aisle
formed the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel under the Appropriations
Committee as well as a Select Committee on Energy Independence and
Global Warming.
The creation of a select investigative panel on the issues
surrounding the sale of unborn children's tissue is clearly within
precedent, and I hope Members on both sides of the aisle will agree
that we must get to the bottom of this.
We have seen video evidence of children being dismembered to
facilitate the sale of their hearts and other organs. Few issues can
make us come together like our children. It is my hope that our
partisan battles will cease for a brief moment to enable us to have a
full investigation into the fate of children at the most vulnerable
time of their lives.
Even for those who support abortion on demand, it should be simple to
unite behind the principle that organizations receiving hundreds of
millions in taxpayer funds are subject to congressional oversight,
particularly when their divisive practices may violate Federal law and
are, frankly, barbaric.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and the resulting
investigation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, creating a select committee to investigate Planned
Parenthood is a journey with no end, a solution in search of a problem.
Congressman Chaffetz, who is chair of the House Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform, held a hearing 2 weeks ago that lasted
over 5 hours and relentlessly badgered the president of Planned
Parenthood, the only witness. Cecile Richards comported herself so
well. But despite that, we are going to do this again.
Mr. Chaffetz was asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer after the hearing, ``Is
there any evidence, in your opinion, that Planned Parenthood has broken
any law?'' Mr. Chaffetz responded, ``No, I'm not suggesting they broke
the law.''
So if they haven't broken the law, what are we doing here? Why do we
investigate over and over? There are three committees in the House
right now investigating Planned Parenthood.
We have spent the day trying to get our colleagues to stop putting on
these select committees, which do not comply with the way things have
always been to be fair to both sides of the committee and let Democrats
have the same kind of benefit of information as they have.
This one, though, I think is even worse because it gives subpoena
power to the head of what is basically a subcommittee of the Energy and
Commerce Committee that is unilateral. We have never seen that before.
So why do we spend time and funds and resources investigating an
organization that we know has done nothing wrong? Because we are
dealing with a majority obsessed with taking constitutionally protected
health care away from women, many of whom, I may add, are poor.
If you add that to the 54, 55 votes to do away with a healthcare bill
called ObamaCare, apparently, the major obsession of the majority is to
take health care away from people. That is a little hard to comprehend,
since we all represent about 750,000 constituents who I don't think
would be happy about that.
So every time we attack Planned Parenthood, remember that you are
attacking one in five American women who have used Planned Parenthood.
Whether it is a select committee or intentionally misleading data,
this majority will use any tactic necessary. In fact, the tactics Mr.
Chaffetz used a week ago were resoundingly discredited. His hearing
materials--one chart in particular--was so misleading that the press
called it words that I am not allowed to say on the floor of the House.
Is that what we expect from this select committee? Let me say, for
one, it is certainly what I expect. A flippant disregard for truth goes
against what we have come here to Congress to do. We came to govern,
uphold the Constitution of the United States, and to do our best
domestically.
We are not doing our best domestically. We have no budget. As a
friend of mine said today, this is a majority that can't build bridges,
roads, or highways, but can sure build select committees.
This House majority decides to spend the time, money, and resources
of the taxpayers attempting to cut funding for the same idea that has
not happened for 39 years. Remember, this has not happened for 39
years.
Since the appearance of the Hyde amendment, not a single Federal
dollar has been spent on abortion, except in very, very rare cases to
save the life of the mother. That is right.
Contrary to what the majority would have the American public believe,
Planned Parenthood spends zero Federal dollars on abortions today. That
is what the majority select committee will investigate. For 39 years,
that law has never been broken.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Mimi Walters).
Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support
of H. Res. 461. This resolution would create a select panel to
investigate a number of claims related to Planned Parenthood's
activities involving abortion and fetal tissue procurement.
Like many Americans, I was horrified by the recent videos which
depicted Planned Parenthood employees callously discussing the
trafficking and sale of aborted babies' tissues and organs.
As a mother of four, I know that nothing is more sacred than the gift
of human life, and any organization that puts a price on unborn
children must be held accountable.
As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I am actively involved
in the House investigation examining the atrocities committed by
Planned Parenthood. While we are continuing to gather information and
determine the exact nature of the organization's actions, one thing is
certain. These practices represent a blatant disregard for innocent
life, and they must be stopped.
By establishing a select panel, we can ensure that we have the proper
tools and time needed to uncover the truth, bring accountability to the
organization, and justice to the most innocent among us.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Poe of Texas). The time of the
gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. FOXX. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 15 seconds.
Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California. I urge my colleagues to support this
measure and to stand with me in the fight to defend innocent human
life.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings),

[[Page H6871]]

the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform as well as the Select Benghazi Committee.
Mr. CUMMINGS. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
As the ranking member of the Select Committee on Benghazi and the
House Oversight Committee, I rise in strong opposition to this proposal
by House Republicans to establish yet another new select panel to ramp
up their baseless and politically motivated attacks against Planned
Parenthood.

Last week two senior Republicans, both of whom are now competing to
become the next Speaker of the House, made stunning admissions on
national television within 24 hours of each other.
First, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy admitted that House Republicans
established the Benghazi Select Committee to use millions of dollars in
taxpayer funds to damage Hillary Clinton's bid for President.
The next day the chairman of the Oversight Committee, Chairman
Chaffetz, admitted on national television that there is no evidence
that Planned Parenthood has violated any laws, despite months of
investigations.
Let me repeat that. The chairman of the chief investigative committee
that has been investigating Planned Parenthood for months admitted on
national television that there is no evidence that Planned Parenthood
violated any laws. His admission is consistent with the findings of
multiple State investigations in Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania, Missouri, and South Dakota, all of which have cleared
Planned Parenthood of wrongdoing.
I ask my colleagues, if the top investigator in the House of
Representatives says there is no evidence against Planned Parenthood,
why in the world are we considering a proposal to set up a new select
panel? I think the answer is the same here as it was with Benghazi. It
is simply politics.
These stark Republican admissions obviously argue against continuing
with these taxpayer-funded political attacks. Yet, House Republicans
are proposing exactly the opposite.
They have already squandered more than $4.5 million on the Benghazi
Select Committee in one of the longest, least productive, and most
partisan congressional investigations in history.
Now they want to use the same terrible model to attack the rights of
millions of women across the country who rely on Planned Parenthood for
cancer screenings, breast exams, and other critical healthcare services
every year.
Planned Parenthood has cooperated with every aspect of the
congressional investigations to date. They have produced tens of
thousands of pages of documents. Planned Parenthood president Cecile
Richards testified voluntarily for nearly 5 hours before the Oversight
Committee. Even Chairman Chaffetz conceded that she has been ``very
cooperative with the investigation.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.
Mr. CUMMINGS. So, again, why do we need this new panel? Based on
Planned Parenthood's exemplary record of cooperation, the tens of
thousands of pages of documents the organization has produced in
response to congressional requests, and the lack of any evidence that
the group has violated any laws, there is simply no legitimate basis to
adopt this proposal.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is those Members across the aisle who raise the issue
of Benghazi that are playing politics by trying to distract Americans
from the actual issue we are debating today.
The purpose of this resolution is to establish a select panel
consistent with past precedent under Democrat majorities to ensure that
this House conducts a thorough investigation into the practices
surrounding fetal tissue procurement and federally funded organizations
that participate in these practices.
Taxpayers deserve to know what their hard-earned dollars fund. It is
incumbent upon us, as Representatives, to ensure that Federal funds are
directed only to organizations that operate fully within the law.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina
(Mrs. Ellmers).
Mrs. ELLMERS of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman
from North Carolina for allowing me to speak on the floor today during
this rule debate.
As a sitting member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I am proud
to see my committee taking the lead on the investigation of Planned
Parenthood. As a woman, a nurse, and a mother, I have fully supported
the decision to defund Planned Parenthood. But as a representative of
the people, our responsibilities are more than that. We have a
responsibility to ask questions that will produce answers.
Our constituents deserve to know how this organization is using
Federal funds, and they deserve to know which medical services they are
actually providing to women. In forming this panel, we will begin
finding the facts and hold Planned Parenthood accountable.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to
the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith), the distinguished ranking
member of the Committee on Armed Services.
Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this
resolution.
As a member of the Benghazi panel, I think what we have learned from
the Benghazi panel is that this House majority is not to be trusted
when it comes to forming special investigatory panels. Basically, they
form them for purely partisan reasons, as Representative McCarthy
admitted just last week.
The second point here is one that has been made repeatedly. There is
no evidence whatsoever that Planned Parenthood has violated the law.
So what exactly is it exactly that we are investigating? Even the
chairman of the House Committee on Oversight has admitted there is no
evidence that Planned Parenthood has violated the law.
Third, there is a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
In fact, just about every committee in Congress has an oversight
function.
So why don't we use that instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on
something like the Benghazi Committee, which is admittedly breaking all
kind of records in terms of wasting taxpayer dollars? But we don't need
to pile on with another wasteful committee.

{time} 1615

If you want to investigate this, do it through the Oversight and
Government Reform Committee. Do it through the existing committees.
Lastly, it is incredibly important to point out that Planned
Parenthood performs enormously important services to women in this
country. They provide much-needed health care to poor women and much-
needed family planning to poor women.
You should have a family when you want a family. If you are not
prepared to take care of children, then family planning makes an
enormous amount of sense. In fact, what it does is it prevents
abortions. It stops women from getting pregnant when they are not ready
to have children. It goes after precisely the issue that the majority
is most concerned about, to prevent abortions.
Planned Parenthood deserves our support, not another wasteful,
taxpayer-funded, partisan investigation.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the House committees who have investigated this issue
thus far have done good work, but it is clear that much remains to be
done. At Energy and Commerce in particular, the Subcommittee on
Oversight and Investigations has the task of conducting meaningful and
necessary oversight of several other matters within the jurisdiction of
the committee.
Given the large number of expected documents to be reviewed and
interviews to be conducted, the select investigative panel will permit
this necessary investigation to continue without impairing the other
important work of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee at the
Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee
(Mrs. Blackburn).
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North
Carolina for her leadership on this issue.

[[Page H6872]]

She spoke a little bit earlier about the structure and the
organization of the investigative panel, and I want to go back to that
and help to make the point because sometimes I think, in our passion
and the emotions as we talk about bills, we begin to attribute to
legislation jurisdiction that may not be there.
This is a small bill. It is very explicit in how the energy of the
investigative panel is going to be utilized. There are six items that
they are being tasked to investigate.
Number 1, medical procedures and business practices used by entities
involved in fetal tissue procurement. We know there are questions that
surround this, whether it is a not-for-profit or a for-profit entity.
Number 2, any other matters with respect to fetal tissue procurement.
Number 3, Federal funding and support for abortion providers.
Number 4, the practices of providers of second- and third-trimester
abortions, including partial-birth abortion procedures that may lead to
a child born alive as a result of an attempted abortion.
Number 5, medical procedures for the care of a child born alive as a
result of an attempted abortion.
And number 6 will be any changes in law or regulation necessary as a
result of any of the findings which are there from the committee.
I want to clearly state this is about getting answers of how we treat
and protect life in this country.
The select panel will act to centralize the investigations that are
at the Energy and Commerce Committee, Judiciary and Oversight
Committees, and bring it all under one umbrella.
Over the past several weeks, we have had lots of serious questions.
They are troubling questions that have been asked. I think that the
investigations we have had have raised a lot of those questions.
It is imperative that we centralize these operations and bring it
together under one umbrella.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
because I have some important information that I got recently that I
want to bring to my colleagues' critical attention.
The chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
Congressman Jason Chaffetz, has in his possession right now a computer
hard drive that contains videos produced by David Daleiden, the head of
the group that tried to entrap Planned Parenthood.
Those videos are official committee records, but Chairman Chaffetz is
refusing to give the Democratic Members a copy of those videos.
On September 22, Chairman Chaffetz issued a subpoena to Mr. Daleiden,
who is the Executive Director of the Center for Medical Progress. The
subpoena demanded that Mr. Daleiden provide all of his unedited video
footage.
We believe that the videos will show how Mr. Daleiden deceptively
edited his videotapes to distort the truth, but those tapes are being
hidden away. It appears that the Republicans do not want the Democrats
to be able to see these videos.
Chairman Chaffetz's subpoena explicitly required that a copy of the
videos be provided to both the Republicans and Democrats. Specifically,
paragraph 18 of the subpoena's schedule instructions stated, ``Two sets
of documents shall be delivered, one set to the Majority Staff, and one
set to the Minority Staff.''
On Friday, September 25, 2015, Mr. Daleiden delivered those videos to
the committee, but provided them only to the Republicans. He did not
provide a copy to Democrats, a direct violation of the subpoena.
Chairman Chaffetz and his staff members then refused to open the
package until today, two weeks later, and now the chairman's staff is
refusing to allow Democrat Members to have a copy of the videos that
are only in his possession.
So I have a couple of questions I need to ask here. On what authority
are the Republicans refusing to provide the Democrat Members of the
body a copy of the videos?
And we know that Republicans actually have no authority to do that.
By the chairman's own subpoena, Democrats are entitled to a copy.
That is explicit in his subpoena.
Another question that we must ask of our colleagues is: Last night at
the Rules Committee, Representative Marsha Blackburn said the intent of
establishing a select committee is ``to bring all the work under one
panel.''
Now, we know that Energy and Commerce has a hearing scheduled for
tomorrow, according to one of the members. What we need to know is:
Will Chairman Chaffetz be permitted to continue his investigation of
Planned Parenthood if the select committee is in existence?
And how will that bring all the work under one panel if he is allowed
to continue his own investigation if the Energy and Commerce Committee
are allowed to bring theirs?
I would like to know if the chairman would assure Members of this
body that he plans to immediately provide a copy of these videos to
Democrats, as required by his own subpoena, so that all Members of the
committee have equal access.
And I also need to know whether the chairman will be required under
this resolution to immediately provide the videos to the new select
panel today.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Van Hollen), the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on the
Budget.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member for
bringing those troubling revelations to the attention of the House. It
shows what a sham process this has been from the beginning.
Mr. Speaker, we have got a lot of work to do in this Congress. We
have got to come together with a budget agreement to keep the
government open, to invest in our economy, to deal with modernizing our
transportation infrastructure in this country.
Yet, what are Republicans bringing to the floor? Another measure to
create another so-called select committee to investigate Planned
Parenthood, when, as we have heard today, three other House committees
have already done that. And what has been the sum total of that
investigation?
Well, the chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee
told us on national television when he was asked if Planned Parenthood
had broken any laws, ``No, I'm not suggesting they broke the law.''
So when you don't get the answer you want, what do you do? Create
another special committee.
Rather than creating a special committee, the Government and
Oversight Committee owes an apology to Cecile Richards, the president
of Planned Parenthood, for dragging her through a committee process
that was disrespectful, where the chairman of the committee began with
a chart that PolitiFact determined was a pants-on-fire
misrepresentation. That is the most untrue ranking you can get from
PolitiFact, Pants on Fire.
That was the gist of that hearing. And now we are learning today
possible nondisclosure of certain documents. So what is happening here?
As the late Yogi Berra would say, ``This is deja vu all over again.''
They had many committees investigating Benghazi to try to get to the
bottom of a tragedy in the House and the Senate, and all those
committees concluded there was no wrongdoing.
And so what did our Republican colleague do? Spent $5 million on a
special committee on Benghazi, which, the Majority Leader just
announced the other day on national television, was simply about
politics, simply about hurting Secretary Clinton. So that is what this
is all about.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. I yield the gentleman another 1 minute.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I want to thank the ranking member.
So that is what this all boils down to. When committees in the House
and the Senate investigated Benghazi--and not just any committees--the
Defense Committee, the Intelligence Committees in the House and the
Senate--they all concluded that the allegations were false, that it was
a terrible, awful tragedy in Benghazi, but nobody was involved in any
wrongdoing.
When they didn't get the answer they wanted then, Special Committee
on Benghazi, which, as we heard, turned out to be all about politics.
And that is exactly what is happening now with Planned Parenthood.

[[Page H6873]]

Mr. Chaffetz just announced the results of all the hearings on
Planned Parenthood. No violation of the law.
And so what do you do when you don't get the answer you want? Let's
spend more taxpayer money on another special committee. This is a
kangaroo court. This is a misuse of public funds.
So, Mr. Speaker, let's get on with the business of the House. Let's
focus on the economy. Let's come together with a budget agreement to
keep the government open.
Let's do the real work of the American people and not run a McCarthy-
like hearing against Planned Parenthood and women's health. Let's do
what we should be doing, Mr. Speaker.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution.
This summer 10 videos were released that showed high-level executives
at major organizations, including Planned Parenthood, StemExpress,
Advanced BioResources, speaking candidly about the activities that
violate Federal law.
They speak of using ``less crunchy abortion techniques'' to preserve
organs, of ``crushing'' certain body parts in order to spare others,
and of children killed after they ``fell out,'' that is, after being
born alive.
It is interesting to hear people criticize the videos that haven't
even watched the videos. These 10 videos constitute sufficient grounds
for probable cause that criminal activity has occurred.
Subsequently, thanks to the leadership of the Judiciary Committee,
Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and the Energy and Commerce
Committee, the House has begun to investigate the scope and prevalence
of these activities.
Congressional discovery has already yielded important and revealing
testimony. This House, as a body, has already voted to stop giving
taxpayer funding to abortion providers and to ban late-term abortions,
which are the abortions that yield the highly developed organs sought
for medical experimentation.
Deniers of the unborn child's humanity or their human right to life
have tried to ignore the clear evidence already uncovered about fetal
organ procurement. The deniers have tried to discredit the videos that
they are too horrified to watch. The videos speak for themselves.
The deniers have tried to create distractions. They insult pro-life
Americans. They make excuses. No wonder, then, that the deniers oppose
this panel. They don't want the truth to come out.
Whether you consider yourself pro-life or pro-choice, you should want
the truth to come out. This debate ought to be settled by the facts.
It is Congress' duty to the American people that we find out the
truth, especially as it pertains to the deaths of millions of innocent
Americans and half a billion dollars in annual taxpayer funding. That
will be the task and purpose of this select committee.
We, as a legislative body, rely on good information. We ought to base
our actions on the facts.
I urge support for the resolution.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I will insert into the Record a copy of a
letter to Speaker John Boehner from Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Rosa DeLauro,
and myself on this issue.

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, October 5, 2015.
Hon. John Boehner,
Speaker, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Mr. Speaker: We are very concerned about the hearing that
House Republicans conducted in the Oversight and Government
Reform Committee involving Planned Parenthood on September
29, 2015. Notwithstanding the absence of any wrongdoing, its
President, Ms. Cecile Richards was cross-examined and
accosted with personal questions and accusations for 4\1/2\
hours while constantly being interrupted. This hearing was
not ``oversight'' it was a witch hunt against her personally
and an ideological attack on a critical provider of women's
health care.
It became apparent that the Republicans' intentions were
not to investigate Planned Parenthood's receipt of federal
dollars when shortly after her opening remarks Ms. Richards
was questioned about her compensation which had no relevance
to the hearing. Never before has a witness had her salary
attacked, not even when the Committee has questioned the CEOs
of companies that have actually been found guilty of breaking
Federal law.
We sincerely believe that the Committee should extend an
apology to Ms. Richards and refrain from such ideologically
based personal attacks of its witnesses in the future
particularly because there was no basis to the allegations
from the outset.
In fact, Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason
Chaffetz, who conducted the hearing, admitted that he had
identified no evidence that Planned Parenthood has violated
any laws during a recent appearance on CNN's Situation Room
with Wolf Blitzer.
On October 1st, the Pulitzer Prize winning PolitiFact News
Service awarded Chairman Chaffetz, a rating of ``Pants on
Fire'' for springing a highly misleading chart on Planned
Parenthood head Cecile Richards during her testimony at the
recent hearing. The chart falsely suggested that Planned
Parenthood performs more abortions than cancer screenings and
prevention services.
PolitiFact found that Chaffetz's chart ``suggests a
conclusion that's flat wrong.'' It cited numerous experts who
concluded that his chart is ``a damn lie,'' ``ethically
wrong,'' ``purposeful deception,'' ``scandalous,''
``propagandized,'' ``an egregious example of using a chart to
mislead,'' and ``absolutely misleading, and intentionally
so.''
Republican attempts to defund Planned Parenthood are
clearly political and greatly misguided. The majority of
Americans recognize that Planned Parenthood is an
organization that plays a vital role in providing health care
to women across the country. One in five women will use
Planned Parenthood for primary and preventative care in their
lifetime, and in 103 counties with Planned Parenthood
centers, Planned Parenthood is the sole provider of these
services. Republicans would eliminate the ability for those
women across the country to get basic preventative care that
over a lifetime can be life-saving.
After a two month investigation, conducted by three
different House Committees, considering tens of thousands of
pages of documents and multiple hearings, there is no
evidence to substantiate Republican claims of illegal
activity by Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has been
the victim of an entrapment scheme conducted over three years
in which an opposing political organization actively lied and
used deceptive tactics against Planned Parenthood's
employees. Clearly Planned Parenthood, and its President, was
the subject of a hostile hearing in the absence of evidence
of any wrongdoing.
We sincerely hope that you direct the Chairs of House
Committees to refrain from conducting this type of hearing in
the future and to abandon any thoughts of establishing a
Subcommittee to pursue these allegations that the Chairman of
the Oversight Committee admitted have not been substantiated.
Sincerely,
Chris Van Hollen,
Member of Congress.
Rosa DeLauro,
Member of Congress.
Louise Slaughter,
Member of Congress.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Capps), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

{time} 1630

Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill, which is just
another political stunt to put the government between a woman and her
healthcare provider. This is yet another instance where the House
majority is exploiting their position to use hard-earned taxpayer
dollars to fund partisan, baseless smear campaigns. Today we are asked
to vote to do it again.
Despite finding no evidence of wrongdoing through multiple
congressional committee hearings, including those conducted by the
Energy and Commerce Committee, despite numerous State-level
investigations that have cleared Planned Parenthood of these charges,
and despite reports from outside experts that there is no evidence of
illegal activity, the House seems insistent on doubling down on this
bad idea to waste taxpayer money and time on yet another fabricated
investigation.
It is time to say ``no more.'' There are far too many real issues
facing our country that Congress should, instead, be addressing. Vote
``no'' on this resolution.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith).
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, last month, Pope Francis admonished a joint session of
Congress to follow the Golden Rule, to ``do unto others as you would
have them do unto you,'' and said that the Golden Rule compels us to
``protect and defend human life at every stage of development'' and
that ``it is wrong to remain silent and look the other way.''
Establishing this select committee is the right thing to do. We
simply can't

[[Page H6874]]

remain silent or look the other way. Instead, Congress needs to
thoroughly investigate profoundly disturbing conduct by top-level
Planned Parenthood officials. Caught on tape--and I have watched all
the tapes, Planned Parenthood's top leadership, not interns or lower
level employees, showed callous disregard for children's lives while
gleefully calculating the financial gain derived from the sale of baby
body parts.
We already know that every day Planned Parenthood dismembers or
chemically poisons to death approximately 900 unborn babies. Since
1973, more than 7 million children have been violently killed in
Planned Parenthood clinics.
Now, because of the CMP videos, Planned Parenthood's involvement in
trafficking in baby body parts has been revealed. In one clip, Dr.
Deborah Nucatola, senior director of Planned Parenthood Federation of
America's Medical Services says on camera: ``We have been very good at
getting heart, lung, liver, and because we know that, I am not going to
crush that part. I am going to basically crush below, I am going to
crush above, and I am going to see if I can get it all intact . . . I
would say a lot of people want liver; and for that reason, most
providers will do this case under ultrasound guidance, so they will
know where they are putting their forceps.''
Ladies and gentlemen of the House, this is a dismemberment abortion--
arms, legs, torsos, decapitation--but the prized body part is
preserved, pulled out intact, and then sold to brokers.
This needs to be done. We haven't lost our sense of being shocked.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), a member of the Committee on
Energy and Commerce.
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this wasteful maneuver by
Republicans in Congress to establish yet another investigative
committee at a cost of untold millions of taxpayer dollars.
It is unconscionable to establish such a committee without any basis
to do so and at a time when Congress should be focused on higher wages,
modern infrastructure, and the basic responsibility to pass an
appropriations plan for America. But no, action on all of these
pocketbook issues for American families and businesses is being shoved
aside by Republicans in Congress for a witch hunt based upon false You
Tube videos that are full of distortions and misinformation.
Republican attacks on Planned Parenthood and women's health care is
part of an unfortunate pattern of assaults over the last two decades.
But this latest maneuver borders on an abuse of power. At best, it is
an attempt by Republican leaders to distract the American public from
their failure to do their job.
I urge my colleagues to defeat this bill and get back to the business
of hardworking Americans.
Ms. FOXX. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, what is unconscionable is the callous disregard for
unborn babies that has been exhibited for far too long in our culture
and which has been brought home to us full force by these videos that
we have seen.
Mr. Speaker, the organizations and providers to be investigated by
this select panel maintain a culture with a callous disregard for life.
Recently, a series of undercover videos have exposed in horrifying
detail what Planned Parenthood values. They show the organization's
leaders admitting to haggling over the prices for the limbs and organs
of aborted children; callously recounting the harvesting of a brain
from a fully intact, aborted child; admitting that clinics collect
``specimens'' without informed consent and that abortionists will alter
the procedure to keep intact in-demand organs.
These videos make clear that neither women's health nor the well-
being of their tiny victims will stand between Planned Parenthood and
profit.
Since the release of these videos, the big money behind the pro-
abortion political machine has kicked into high gear to obfuscate what
services organizations like Planned Parenthood truly provide.
We hear about breast cancer screenings, but not a single Planned
Parenthood clinic has a mammogram machine. We have heard repeatedly
that abortions account for only 3 percent of Planned Parenthood
services. The Washington Post Fact Checker assigned this data point,
along with others pushed by Planned Parenthood, three Pinocchios. It is
also clear from Planned Parenthood's own annual reports and testimony
to Congress that a significant portion of its annual nongovernmental
revenue comes from abortion.
The undercover videos alone would merit full investigation and
review, but the problems at Planned Parenthood are not limited to those
discussed in the series by the Center for Medical Progress.
We know that Planned Parenthood clinics in several States have failed
to report sexual abuse of young girls, enabling and empowering those
who would exploit them:
Just this year, the Alabama Department of Public Health found that a
clinic in Mobile performed two abortions on a 14-year-old girl in a
single 4-month period without reporting suspected sexual abuse.
Just last year, an Arizona Planned Parenthood counselor intentionally
miscoded the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl by a serial predator
as a consensual encounter.
Also last year, a Denver clinic failed to report the rape of a 13-
year-old girl by her stepfather, who brought her to the clinic for an
abortion.
Mr. Speaker, the list of outrageous acts by these abortion providers
goes on and on. It is past time that we investigate and understand just
what type of organizations our tax dollars are subsidizing.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds to say what any
woman in this room could say: your doctor determines whether you need
to go to a radiologist to get a mammogram. None of us get that in our
doctor's office, unless it is a most unusual place, and I know you
gentlemen wouldn't know that.
I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms.
Schakowsky), an Energy and Commerce Committee member.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the
creation of a select committee to investigate Planned Parenthood.
Let's be clear: this is just another political witch hunt, this time
targeting women, their trusted organization, and women's health.
Now, let's talk about the Republican vision for women of America.
Just look at their record. First, they passed a budget that completely
eliminated title X--that is contraception--the only Federal grant
program dedicated to family planning, and slashed funding by 80 percent
for the teen pregnancy initiative by over 80 percent.
Then we find that last week the Republicans proved that this witch
hunt is not just aimed at Planned Parenthood. They passed a bill that
threatened funding for every doctor, clinic, and hospital that dares to
participate in abortion services. They also want to repeal the
Affordable Care Act, which requires insurance companies to cover
maternity care. They don't want to expand Medicaid, which currently
covers one out of every three births and more than 43 million children.
In fact, they want to turn Medicaid into a block grant program. And
Republicans have proposed huge cuts to education.
I want to say to my Republican friends: Be careful what you wish for.
The women of America are watching.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentlewoman from New York.
Mr. Speaker, many of us have the memory of the back alley abortions
and the many dead young women who cried alone without any help. None of
us want that. None of us want women to have to make that choice. But we
know the Supreme Court has established as the law of the land Roe v.
Wade as a matter of choice, and that this procedure is a medical
procedure.
Planned Parenthood does not sell body parts. Planned Parenthood has a
very infinitesimal amount of fetal research. Planned Parenthood is not
the

[[Page H6875]]

person who ganged up on them and planned these horribly disorderly, if
you will, videos and stole the ID of his high school friend to do these
horrible videos.
Abortions have gone down. And so we come again to another Benghazi-
like committee where we are ignoring the law. We are allowing
unilateral subpoena, even if they are consulting, where we are looking
at abortions that are done, but are not done by Federal money.
Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to vote against this bill that
is doing nothing, Mr. Speaker, but politicizing a Presidential
candidate and attacking women--attacking women, attacking health care.
Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee,
and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security,
I rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 461, which would establish a
Select Investigative Panel of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
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 has wasted $4.5 million of the taxpayers'
money.
The Chairman of the Benghazi Committee sent to Committee Members an
investigative plan that set out monthly hearings with all the different
agencies involved in preparing for and responding to the attacks in
Benghazi, including the State Department, the Defense Department, and
the Intelligence Community.
But after the New York Times' email story broke on March 2, however,
the Chairman completely abandoned this plan and began focusing almost
exclusively on Hillary Clinton.
Since then, the Committee has not held any of the hearings on his
schedule, and his upcoming hearing with Hillary Clinton is the only
hearing now scheduled.
Abandoned are plans for hearings that were to have been held in April
with former Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary Leon Panetta.
The Committee has never held even one public hearing with anyone from
the Department of Defense.
The only hearing the Committee has held with an intelligence
official, was with the CIA's head of Legislative Affairs regarding the
status of document production.
Mr. 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 usually are comprised.
Second, H. Res. 461 gives the chairman of the select panel 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 resolution authorized the chairman 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.
Mr. 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
Reagan 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 $l00.
Less than 1% 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% 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 2009-2014,
86% of Planned Parenthood's Services fall under the categories of
Cancer Prevention and Screenings (12-16%), STI Testing for men and
women (35-41%), and Contraception (32-35%).
Only about 3% of its services fall under the Abortion category
nationally.
Additionally, Planned Parenthood is already prohibited from spending
federal funds on abortion services anyway.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 461 is an irresponsible diversion from
tackling and addressing the following critical challenges facing this
Congress and the American people, and if unresolved pose grave threats
to our economy and communities across the country:
The Highway & Transit Trust Fund expires on October 29, endangering
good paying jobs and critical construction projects throughout America;
Treasury Secretary Lew has notified the Congress that the debt limit
is expected to be reached on November 5 and action must be taken to
raise the limit to protect the full faith & credit of the United States
and prevent interest rates for mortgages, student loans, credit cards
and car payments soaring;
Funding to keep the government open expires on December 11 and
Congress must find a way to keep the government open in the face of
irresponsible opposition from 151 Republicans who voted to shut down
the government rather than allow women access to affordable family
planning and life-saving preventive health care.
In addition, American small businesses and manufacturers continue to
suffer from Republicans' refusal to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank.
Mr. 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. 461 and urge all Members to join me in voting
against this wasteful and irresponsible measure.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, this charge laid about subpoena powers is a
red herring. Every House committee holds subpoena power, though the
structure differs depending on the committee. Granting this standard
authority to

[[Page H6876]]

the select panel ensures its ability to investigate thoroughly the
issues within its scope. It would make little sense to convene a select
investigative panel with limited investigative power.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is left on
both sides.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from New York has 10 minutes
remaining. The gentlewoman from North Carolina has 11 minutes
remaining.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney).
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. I thank my friend for yielding
and for her great leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 461, to create a
select committee on investigating Planned Parenthood.
I take very seriously the congressional responsibility to investigate
wrongdoing and improve transparency, but this panel is not at all about
due diligence. It is about purely partisan politics, an attempt to
``Benghazi'' Planned Parenthood.

{time} 1645

Mr. Speaker, six States have investigated Planned Parenthood and
found nothing. Four committee hearings have found nothing. Planned
Parenthood has handed over tens of thousands of pages of documents to
Congress, and there has not even been a whiff of wrongdoing. Even the
chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has said
he has no evidence of anything unlawful.
This panel would be a waste of Congress' time and taxpayers' money. I
urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and stop this relentless crusade
attacking access to health care for women who desperately need it and
cannot afford it.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the facts are clear about the budget for the
select panel. The resolution does not authorize or appropriate
additional resources for this panel. It will use existing funds solely.
Further, one of Congress' most important duties is oversight of how
scarce funds are spent, and that oversight is a proper use of the
limited budget the House and its committees receive.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu.)
Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Speaker, here we are again with
Republicans attacking women and Planned Parenthood on the House floor.
But now the attacks are taking the form of yet another politically
inspired committee.
As with the Benghazi committee, Republicans are not seeking out truth
or better policy. Instead, they want to use taxpayer-funded resources
for a political witch hunt.
Here are the facts: Abortion today is protected by our Constitution,
and we have found no wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood so far in the
three House investigations that are already taking place.
Another fact: Planned Parenthood helps women. Every year Planned
Parenthood provides 2.1 million patients with family counseling and
contraception. They are trying to prevent unwanted pregnancies from
occurring in the first place, something that my Republican colleagues
should support. Let's not use lies and edited tapes to unfairly color
and bring down this organization. We should be better than that.
Mr. Speaker, I oppose this committee. I urge my colleagues to vote
``no.''
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel).
Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the
resolution to create a select committee to investigate Planned
Parenthood. Well, here we go again. Planned Parenthood is the new
Benghazi.
Under the ruse of saving lives, my colleagues on the other side of
the aisle would use the resources of the United States Government to
pursue their extreme agenda. The targeting of Planned Parenthood is a
gross abuse of political power to punish a trusted organization because
it provides a full array of health services that includes abortion, and
it sends a chilling message to anybody who would dare to give women
choices.
Mr. Speaker, to quote a well-known political thinker, ``There is no
greater tyranny, than that which is perpetrated under the shield of law
and in the name of justice.''
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).
Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Res. 461. This
resolution supposedly establishes a select panel to investigate Planned
Parenthood and fetal tissue procurement.
Now, what do we know already, Mr. Speaker? What facts do we know? We
know that these videos have already been entirely discredited and
debunked by a team of independent forensic experts. What do we know? We
know that women have a legal right to a safe and legal abortion.
What do we know already, Mr. Speaker, while we are investigating
Planned Parenthood? We know that fetal tissue procurement signed into
law by the venerated Ronald Reagan provides lifesaving research for
diseases like Parkinson's, ALS, and others.
No, Mr. Speaker, you are not trying to find the facts. Instead, this
is just another pathway to deny a woman a right to a safe and legal
abortion.
We already know that the chairman of the Oversight and Government
Reform Committee said that there is no ``there'' there. We don't need
to get to the bottom of this. Mr. Speaker, we are already at the bottom
of this.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE. Let me thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for your
tremendous leadership on this vital issue and so many issues.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 461, which really
is nothing more than a politically motivated bill. It would establish a
select Energy and Commerce Committee to so-call investigate Planned
Parenthood.
How outrageous. Let's be clear. This is nothing more than yet another
attempt to attack Planned Parenthood and undermine a woman's right to
choose.
There have already been multiple hearings and committee
investigations, none of which have resulted in any evidence of
wrongdoing, and this shameful resolution is the fourth anti-choice vote
we have had to take in the last month alone.
Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. We know that Planned Parenthood
centers are critical to the health of women all across the country. One
in five women have used Planned Parenthood services at some point in
her lifetime for vital services like birth control, lifesaving cancer
screenings, and STI screenings.
Continuing attempts to restrict access to these health services would
hurt our most vulnerable women, including low-income women and women of
color.
You want to restrict access to family planning, and you want to
restrict access to safe and legal abortions. Come on. It is time to
stop this war on women.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).
Mr. ENGEL. I thank my good friend from New York.
Mr. Speaker, this is the fourth time in less than 1 month that I have
been compelled to voice my opposition to a measure attacking women's
health care.
This is just what Congress does not need, another polarizing battle
in Congress. I have been on the Energy and Commerce Committee for 20
years, and this is the wrong thing to do. This is just absolutely the
wrong thing to do.
The American public wants to see us pass a budget, a transportation
bill, keep the government open, do the Export-Import Bank and other
things that are important.
What are we doing, getting into another political brawl? We don't
need

[[Page H6877]]

another committee like Benghazi, which should be abolished.

The Washington Post reported last week that more Americans have
supported continued Federal funding for Planned Parenthood than opposed
it in every single public survey taken this year.
I don't want to infringe on women's rights to choose whatever is
right between them, their doctor, their family, and their God, and I
don't think Congress should either.
My friends on the other side of the aisle talk about wanting smaller
government. I don't want government to be so big that it intrudes on
women's privacy and women's health. This is ill-thought and should be
defeated.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this
resolution. It is beneath the dignity of this Chamber to participate in
an ideological witch hunt, especially one based on entirely false
allegations.
The chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
spent hours last week cross-examining Planned Parenthood's president
about these claims, and even he has publicly admitted that they have no
merit. So let us call this proposed committee what it really is, the
select committee to attack women's health.
The majority wants to kill Planned Parenthood. If they succeed, many
low-income women will have nowhere left to go for breast cancer exams,
Pap smears, and a range of other lifesaving services. So this
resolution tells these women flat out: We do not care about your health
care. We do not care if you die.
The hypocrisy of the majority is breathtaking. One minute they
condemn all government spending--even on health care for some of our
poorest families--and now they plan to spend millions of taxpayers'
dollars on a politically motivated witch hunt.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this disgraceful
resolution.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), our colleague.
Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentlewoman.
Mr. Speaker, I was in my office watching the debate, and I thought,
well, if I really thought I was innocent, if I really thought there was
nothing that really went with what the other side is claiming, if I
really thought I needed to wipe the slate clean, if I really thought
that sunlight is truly the best antiseptic.
Forget about the organization. Let's talk about the act. This is one
of the most repulsive things you can watch. It turns your stomach to
see our unborn--our born--listen, little boys and little girls being
dissected and being sold. It is a criminal activity.
So my question comes down to--and if you read ``Rules for Radicals,''
the best way to counteract a charge against you is to go after those
who are attacking you and make them the bad person.
I don't understand. In America's House, when we want to have a
debate, when we want everybody in America to look and say that this was
fair, we are talking about an investigation that, if we are false, if
the claims are false, it would wipe the slate clean.
Most people who think they have been wrongly accused of something
say, ``Bring the facts out. Let everybody see them. Let's have the
conversation. Let's have the debate. Let's really determine if this is
really going on.'' Only someone who is afraid it may go against them
would say, ``No. No. No. You can't do this.''
I want to tell you, as far as women are concerned and a war on women,
I am the father of four children, three boys and one girl. But I have
ten grandchildren, six girls and four boys. There is not one of them
that, when it comes to how much I love them, it is gender-selective. I
love them all in the same way.
In a country that has always stood for human rights, in a country
that has always stood for others, for the most vulnerable--and I will
not disguise it and say it is not what I am. I am from conception to
natural death. I am in favor of life. I will always be in favor of
life.
But to have this debate today and to say that you can't possibly do
this because it is driven, it is a Republican agenda, because it is a
war on women, if anything, this is a war for women.
We have got to protect these people. If there is anything that is a
preemptive strike in the war on women, it is gender-selective abortion.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.
Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman.
Mr. Speaker, I would just ask all Members, not as Republicans and not
as Democrats, but as members of the human race, and for a House that
just abhors what is going on around the world and saying that this is
horrible what is going on and we won't ever let this happen in our
country, why would we be having this debate today?
If you really want the slate to be clear, if you really want the
world to see that there is nothing going on here, then let's have an
open investigation so, at the end of the day--I don't care what
organizations--they can walk away and say, ``See, we proved that we
aren't who they say we are.''
Mr. Speaker, this is just so simple. Why would you argue against it?
It actually works to their advantage if it is not true. If it is true,
then why in the world would we use hard-earned American taxpayer money
to fund illegal and criminal activity? That is just not who we are as
Americans.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Ms. DeGette), the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce
Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, since a series of deceptive and highly
edited videos taken at Planned Parenthood facilities were released to
the public, three separate congressional committees have leapt to
conclusions, holding hearings and investigations along the way.
However, on the subcommittee on which I serve as ranking member and
which has primary jurisdiction over this matter, we did extensive
research. We found out that Planned Parenthood broke no laws according
to an extensive memo prepared by the Democratic committee staff.
So now what are we going to do? We are going to spend millions of
taxpayer dollars having another sham committee. That is a ridiculous
waste of money.
I have a proposal for all of my colleagues. Let's spend our time
talking on the things that our constituents want their hard-earned
taxpayer money spent on: reauthorizing the highway bill, addressing the
looming expiration of our debt ceiling, not to mention an overdue bill
for funding the Federal Government. That is what they care about.
I just want to say once again, for the umpteenth time, for the
Record, there is no public money spent on abortion. There is no Federal
money spent on abortion. So what we are talking about right here is a
totally useless and expensive investigation.

{time} 1700

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding.
A sure sign that the Republican Planned Parenthood hearing failed is
that they are now embracing their default, the much-discredited
Benghazi Select Committee strategy. But, the Government Reform Planned
Parenthood hearing left Planned Parenthood as strong as ever. The
majority is trying to do to the Nation's women what they have done to
D.C., now deprived of the right to spend even local funds on abortion.
But no Federal funds go to abortion, so what is left? Women's health
care.
All that this witch-hunting select committee will do is highlight the
new GOP war on women.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
We are being told by our colleagues on the other side of the aisle
that we

[[Page H6878]]

should be comforted by the fact that the Democratic committee staff did
an investigation of Planned Parenthood and found nothing wrong. I think
I can say very well with tongue in cheek that is truly like putting the
fox to guard the henhouse.
Mr. Speaker, in a few moments I will offer an amendment to the
resolution. The amendment will make several changes to the resolution
that have been requested by the minority. The amendment will change the
ratio on the panel to eight Republicans and six Democrats, giving
Democrats an additional one member on the panel. The amendment will
also make sure that the select panel's subpoena authority is consistent
with existing Energy and Commerce Committee rules.
We have no objection to the requested changes, and we hope this will
encourage our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to participate
fully in this important investigation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, if we have heard anything this entire day, it is the
misuse of public tax money for useless select committees overdoing
investigations that everybody that has investigated before has already
said that there is no ``there'' there.
We don't need to take the word--although I am happy to do it--of Mr.
Pallone last night saying that the Democratic staff on Energy and
Commerce had found there was nothing wrong here. Let's take Mr.
Chaffetz's word for it. He spent 5 hours delving into what Planned
Parenthood does and does not do, and he said, no, they have not broken
any law.
But that is not good enough because everybody is doing so well here
making political points and attacking a Presidential candidate. That is
not our job. In fact, I am pretty sure that is against Federal law for
us to use public money for that kind of action. We did it not once, we
are going to do it twice, and who knows how many more times before the
end of this year.
The big disgrace that is going on is the misuse of tax money of the
American people in a House and a Congress that has no budget, no
highway bill, no way out, and people who sit at home trying to figure
out how they are going to educate their children, put food on the
table, keep their job, and even drive on roads that are unfit to get to
work.
I would really appreciate it if we would stop this select committee
and stop trying to take health care away from American citizens and get
to work on their behalf.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the opponents of this resolution would have Americans
believe that this oversight is unnecessary and political. Nothing is
further from the truth.
Oversight into entities' use of Federal funds and compliance with
Federal law is a fundamental responsibility of Congress and one
exercised by both parties, frequently on a bipartisan basis.
It is unfortunate that my colleagues across the aisle are refusing to
join with us on this particular issue, but charges that it is a
politically driven investigation are false. The investigation to be
continued by the select investigative panel at the Energy and Commerce
Committee is prompted by allegations that abortion providers that
receive Federal funds are dismembering children to sell their body
parts, possibly while violating Federal laws.
The most fundamental right our government was formed to protect is
life; and when taxpayer dollars are being used by organizations
flagrantly violating that right, we are morally compelled to
investigate and respond in accordance with our Constitution.
The select investigative panel formed by this resolution is
consistent with precedent, including two panels formed by my colleagues
across the aisle when they were in the majority. It is laser-focused on
the issues raised by the videos and subsequent investigation into
Planned Parenthood of fetal tissue collection, abortion procedures, and
the Federal laws surrounding those practices. Its existence as a
separate body will allow it to complete the full investigation these
allegations deserve without shortchanging the important other issues
under consideration by the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the
full House.
It is disappointing that some Members do not want the full truth to
come out. When Federal taxpayers have legitimate concerns that their
hard-earned dollars are flowing to organizations that sanction the
dismemberment of unborn children and that our system of laws have
loopholes allowing these atrocities to continue, we as their elected
representatives are responsible for ensuring these concerns are heard
and responded to.
If we as elected representatives of our great Nation can't shed our
callousness toward the most vulnerable lives in our society and heed
the moral cause of this issue, I have a great fear for our Nation's
future and the cruelties we may someday allow other lives to be
subjected to. Our freedom rests on the cornerstone right we all have to
life, and I fear we have lost sight of that.

Amendment Offered by Ms. Foxx

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment to the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:

Page 1, line 7, strike ``five'' and insert ``six''.
Page 1, line 5, strike ``13'' and insert ``14''.
Page 3, line 12, insert ``, consistent with the
notification, consultation, and reporting requirements of
rule 16 of the rules of the Committee on Energy and
Commerce,'' after ``select panel''.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
resolution and expose the truth about these outrages through a thorough
investigation. We must have the courage to follow the facts wherever
they lead in order to strengthen our laws to end these barbaric
practices and ensure that unwanted children are no longer discarded in
the bins of parts for sale by profit-hungry abortion providers.
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res.
461, legislation to establish a select panel to investigate the matters
that were brought to the forefront in a series of shocking and
disturbing videos recently released by the Center for Medical Progress.
These videos, which show Planned Parenthood officials engaging in the
sale of aborted baby body parts, must be fully investigated with the
utmost detail and attention.
Ten videos so far have been publicized depicting Planned Parenthood
engaging in fetal tissue trafficking. These actions are despicable,
unspeakable and barbaric.
This select committee will also, investigate, the practices of
businesses involved in the second and third trimester abortions,
including partial birth abortions and procedures that lead to babies
being born alive in attempted abortions.
It's a national disgrace that taxpayer dollars account for 41 percent
of Planned Parenthood's revenues, which also serves as the nation's
largest abortion provider.
The creation of this investigative panel is an important step in
getting to the truth and holding the recipients of taxpayer dollars
accountable for what they do.
It is wrong to take money out of the wallets of hardworking Americans
and hand it over to organizations like Planned Parenthood.
This select committee will investigate this issue thoroughly--a
responsibility that the Obama Administration has refused to do.
I look forward to the panel's findings.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong opposition to the
establishment of the panel to investigate Planned Parenthood. The
panel's clear partisan aim is to take down Planned Parenthood, an
organization providing quality, affordable health care to millions of
Americans.
Every person has the right to make informed, independent decisions
about their health, sexual activity and family planning. Yet, women's
reproductive rights continue to come under constant attack at both the
state and local levels For all the rhetoric we have heard about how the
government should not be in the business of providing health care, the
Majority is all too eager to step in and regulate women's access to
health services.
It is unconscionable that the Majority continues funneling taxpayer
dollars to support purely political agendas. Millions were spent
defending DOMA after the Justice Department decided it was no longer
prudent policy. Even more money is being spent suing President Obama
over the Affordable Care Act, even after the Supreme Court upheld the
ACA's constitutionality not once, but twice. Most recently, more than
$4 million has been spent politicizing the terrorist attack in
Benghazi. The Majority now demands we use even more tax payer dollars
to attack an organization providing health care to those who need it
most,

[[Page H6879]]

ignoring Congressional committees that found no wrong-doing on the part
of Planned Parenthood.
Women's access to health care is challenged over and over again,
despite America's high maternal death rate. Women in the United States
face a one in 1,800 risk of maternal death, the highest risk of any
developed country. In 2014, the overall U.S. health care system ranked
last among industrialized nations for the fifth time and is still the
most expensive system in the world. The health disparities among our
nation's racial and ethnic groups are a disgrace. We should focus our
attention on these issues.
Let's call this exactly what it is, a partisan attack against a
single, reputable organization. An attack based on highly edited,
unsubstantiated statements and videos. This is a waste of time and
taxpayer funded resources. We must get back to doing the people's work
and put a stop to the constant attempts to roll back women's rights.
I strongly oppose this Resolution.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I
move the previous question on the amendment and on the resolution.
The previous question was ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the amendment.
The amendment was agreed to.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution, as
amended.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, and the
order of the House today, this 15-minute vote of adoption on House
Resolution 461, as amended, will be followed by 5-minute votes on the
motion to recommit H.R. 3192, and passage of H.R. 3192, if ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 242,
nays 184, not voting 8, as follows:

[Roll No. 538]

YEAS--242

Abraham
Aderholt
Allen
Amash
Amodei
Babin
Barletta
Barr
Barton
Benishek
Bilirakis
Bishop (MI)
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Blum
Bost
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Brat
Bridenstine
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Burgess
Byrne
Calvert
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chabot
Chaffetz
Clawson (FL)
Coffman
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Comstock
Conaway
Cook
Costello (PA)
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Culberson
Curbelo (FL)
Davis, Rodney
Denham
Dent
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Dold
Donovan
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Ellmers (NC)
Emmer (MN)
Farenthold
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Garrett
Gibbs
Gibson
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Graves (GA)
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Griffith
Grothman
Guinta
Guthrie
Hanna
Hardy
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Heck (NV)
Hensarling
Herrera Beutler
Hice, Jody B.
Hill
Holding
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurd (TX)
Hurt (VA)
Issa
Jenkins (KS)
Jenkins (WV)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan
Joyce
Katko
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kinzinger (IL)
Kline
Knight
Labrador
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lance
Latta
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Long
Loudermilk
Love
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
MacArthur
Marchant
Marino
Massie
McCarthy
McCaul
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McSally
Meadows
Meehan
Messer
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Moolenaar
Mooney (WV)
Mullin
Mulvaney
Murphy (PA)
Neugebauer
Newhouse
Noem
Nugent
Nunes
Olson
Palazzo
Palmer
Paulsen
Pearce
Perry
Peterson
Pittenger
Pitts
Poe (TX)
Poliquin
Pompeo
Posey
Price, Tom
Ratcliffe
Reed
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (SC)
Rigell
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney (FL)
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Rouzer
Royce
Russell
Ryan (WI)
Salmon
Sanford
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Stefanik
Stewart
Stivers
Stutzman
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Trott
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walker
Walters, Mimi
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Yoder
Yoho
Young (AK)
Young (IA)
Young (IN)
Zeldin
Zinke

NAYS--184

Adams
Aguilar
Ashford
Bass
Beatty
Becerra
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brady (PA)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Bustos
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Cardenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Courtney
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
DeFazio
DeGette
Delaney
DeLauro
DelBene
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Duckworth
Edwards
Ellison
Engel
Eshoo
Esty
Farr
Fattah
Foster
Frankel (FL)
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Graham
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hahn
Hastings
Heck (WA)
Higgins
Himes
Honda
Hoyer
Huffman
Israel
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Jolly
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Kuster
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lee
Levin
Lewis
Lieu, Ted
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
Lynch
Maloney, Carolyn
Maloney, Sean
Matsui
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Moore
Moulton
Murphy (FL)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Nolan
Norcross
O'Rourke
Pallone
Pascrell
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters
Pingree
Pocan
Polis
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rangel
Rice (NY)
Richmond
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schrader
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Sherman
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Speier
Swalwell (CA)
Takai
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tonko
Torres
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters, Maxine
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth

NOT VOTING--8

Dingell
Granger
Hinojosa
Hudson
Sinema
Smith (TX)
Walorski
Williams

{time} 1735

Mr. CURBELO of Florida changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated for:
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 538, I am not recorded as
voting because of prior commitments in my district. Had I been present,
I would have voted ``Aye.''

____________________