United States House Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood

The United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood was a select subcommittee of the United States House of Representatives.^[1][2] Following the 2015 release of undercover videos filmed by The Center for Medical Progress, an anti-abortion group, purporting to show Planned Parenthood engaging in the sale of tissue from aborted fetuses, John Boehner, the Speaker of the House, announced in September 2015 that he was considering forming a select committee to investigate Planned Parenthood. The committee fell under the jurisdiction of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.^[1] The House approved the committee on October 7, 2015, by a party-line vote of 242–189, with all but one member of the Republican Party supporting the committee and only two members of the Democratic Party voting in favor of its creation.^[3]

On October 23, Boehner announced that the committee would be led by Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and would also include Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania, Diane Black of Tennessee, Larry Bucshon of Indiana, Sean Duffy of Wisconsin, Andy Harris of Maryland, Vicky Hartzler of Missouri, and Mia Love of Utah.^[4] Democrats, who claim that the videos are edited to be purposefully misleading, considered boycotting the committee, citing the politicized nature of the United States House Select Committee on Benghazi.^[5] Instead, they chose to participate, naming Jan Schakowsky of Illinois as the Ranking Member, and also naming Jackie Speier of California, Jerrold Nadler of New York, Diana DeGette of Colorado, Suzan DelBene of Washington, and Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey.^[6]

The Select Investigative Panel released its final report on December 30, 2016.^[7] It recommended that "the National Institutes of Health be required to stop funding fetal tissue research, and that the huge health provider Planned Parenthood be stripped of U.S. funding."^[7]

According to Science, the report contained inaccuracies.^[8] Democratic members of the panel — who had not been permitted to read, respond to, or vote on the final report — released an alternate report,^[9] criticizing the accuracy and tactics of the report. A Planned Parenthood spokesperson described the report as "a partisan attack" and noted that 13 state-level investigations and other congressional inquiries had found no wrongdoing.^[10] The Washington Post, New York Magazine and Los Angeles Times described the panel's inquiry as a "witch hunt" and criticized both its findings and tactics in editorials.^[9][11][12]

Members, 114th Congress

Majority	Minority
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee, Chairman Joe Pitts, Pennsylvania Diane Black, Tennessee Larry Bucshon, Indiana Sean Duffy, Wisconsin Andy Harris, Maryland Vicky Hartzler, Missouri Mia Love, Utah	Jan Schakowsky, Illinois, Ranking Member Jackie Speier, California Jerrold Nadler, New York Diana DeGette, Colorado Suzan DelBene, Washington Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey
Ex officio
Fred Upton, Michigan	Frank Pallone, New Jersey

References

1. French, Lauren (September 28, 2015). "House Plans Special Committee to Probe Planned Parenthood". Politico. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
2. "House Panel Advances Resolution to Create Special Committee to Probe Planned Parenthood". Fox News. October 7, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
3. Ben Jacobs (October 8, 2015). "House Republicans set up Planned Parenthood select committee inquiry". the Guardian. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
4. Paul Kane (October 23, 2015). "Boehner's next select committee, focusing on Planned Parenthood, to be led by Marsha Blackburn". Washington Post. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
5. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta (October 23, 2015). "House Dems Weigh Boycott Of Planned Parenthood Select Committee". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
6. Sullivan, Peter (November 4, 2015). "Overnight Healthcare: Brady picked to lead Ways and Means". TheHill.
7. "Final Report" (PDF). United States House Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood. December 20, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
8. Wadman, Meredith (January 5, 2017). "Fact-checking Congress's fetal tissue report". Science. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
9. Rinkunas, Susan. "Now-Defunct Planned Parenthood 'Witch Hunt' Panel Calls for Terrifying Changes".
10. Mike DeBonis (January 4, 2017). "House panel recommends cutting funding for Planned Parenthood, reigniting old debate". washingtonpost.com.
11. Board, Editorial (February 20, 2016). "The Planned Parenthood witch hunt" – via washingtonpost.com.
12. The Times Editorial Board (July 25, 2016). "Congressional witch hunt for 'baby body part' sellers needs to end". LA Times.