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 House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Republicans were
creating "a controversy that doesn't exist" by objecting to two
secretly recorded videos that critics say show Planned Parenthood
illegally selling aborted fetal tissue.
"They've been out to get Planned Parenthood for as long as I can
remember," she said in a press conference. "But women's health is
what's at stake, and Planned Parenthood is a very important part of
promoting women's health in our country."
On the Senate floor, Democratic Leader Harry Reid criticized
Republicans for using a bipartisan veterans' health bill to attack
the organization. The bill's sponsor, Democratic Senator Patty
Murray, subsequently set aside the legislation.
"This episode says a lot about today's Republican party," Reid said.
"This is an attack on families. This is an attack on the health of
women. And this is an attack on veterans."
Criticism from Republican lawmakers has been swift since the first
video was released on the Internet early last week by the
anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress.
Two committees in the Republican-controlled Congress announced
inquiries into the videos and whether fetal body parts were
illegally sold for profit. Some Republicans have called on the
Department of Justice to review how it enforces abortion
regulations.
Before the videos were released, House Republicans had already moved
to eliminate about $3 million in federal funding for a
family-planning program involving Planned Parenthood. The budget cut
was approved by a House committee late last month and is awaiting a
House vote.
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Asked about the issue at a press conference on Thursday, House
Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, did not say whether measures to
defund the organization will be part of a final spending bill.
"There is an investigation underway, and I expect that there will be
hearings," he said. "As that process develops, we'll make decisions
based on the facts. But let's get the facts first."
The comments from congressional leaders came after White House
spokesman Josh Earnest said Wednesday he had "significant concerns
about the way in which those videos were selectively edited to
distort the ... position of Planned Parenthood."
(Reporting by Megan Cassella; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh, Bernard
Orr)
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