September 28, 2011 02:53 AM UTC

DeGette Defends Planned Parenthood from "Republican Vendetta"

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• by: DaftPunk

( – promoted by ProgressiveCowgirl)

Ever since the tea infused congress almost shut down the government over Pap smears for poor women, the pro-choice movement has been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and Planned Parenthood to become the ACORN of 2011.

In a letter written in his authority as chair of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, which rehashes almost verbatim a press release from Americans United for Life containing a variety of debunked lies  about the organization, Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fl) demanded internal audits of how much Planned Parenthood received and spent in government money from 1998 to 2010. Stearns also requests any state audits of PPFA for the last 20 years that have not been made public, as well as a description for how “segregation between family planning and abortion services is accomplished,” and how the practice is monitored for compliance.

Representatives Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), the ranking member of the panel’s Oversight subcommittee, and Henry Waxman (Calif.), senior Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee fired back:

Planned Parenthood is being singled out as part of a Republican vendetta against an organization that provides family planning and other medical care to low-income women and men…

We are aware of no predicate that would justify this sweeping and invasive request to Planned Parenthood.  The HHS Inspector General and state Medicaid programs regularly audit Planned Parenthood and report publicly on their findings.  These audits have not identified any pattern of misuse of federal funds, illegal activity, or other abuse that would justify a broad and invasive congressional investigation…

It would be an abuse of the oversight process if you are now using the Committee’s investigative powers to harass Planned Parenthood again.  Your fervent ideological opposition to Planned Parenthood does not justify launching this intrusive investigation.

Cecile Richards, CEO and President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America added:

“At a time when the American people need jobs, some members of Congress are instead misusing their political power to go after health care access for the most vulnerable women in the country, we are certain that the millions of women and men who count on Planned Parenthood will make their voices heard and speak out, just as they did during the budget battle in the spring.”

Of course this fight is not about birth control or STD testing, it’s about abortion; As noted Republicans like to say, “well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does”, even if that is not meant as a factual statement.  Or as Representative DeGette said at her September 2009 town hall, “legal medical care, and tell me why poor women have any less right to legal medical care than anyone else.”

Because Republicans hate abortion so much, they’re willing to neglect the facts:  For over 90 years Planned Parenthood has operated as a non-profit at hundreds of health centers around the country. Well over 90% of the services they provide are preventive in nature, including life-saving cancer screenings, confidential counselling, and prevention and treatment of STD’s.  One in five women has used Planned Parenthood’s services at some time.

This partisan witch hunt will amount to nothing, besides wasting money on high paid DC lawyers.  It reminds me of the Personhood initiative which has no chance of passing, but causes donor fatigue from financing its opposition.

https://secure.ppaction.org/si…