WASHINGTON DC – A member of Illinois Democrat delegation has been appointed to act as ranking member of a congressional committee to investigate Planned Parenthood. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) is leading the Democrats' effort.
Despite receiving over $11,000 in campaign contributions from the group she's investigating, Schakowsky has not publicly declared a conflict of interest.
The House panel is investigating allegations that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, is selling the body parts of aborted babies to researchers for profit. The allegations were raised by a series of undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress.
The Daily Signal reports:
Democratic lawmakers appointed to the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood received more than $81,000 in campaign contributions from the organization since 1990, according to a study by the Media Research Center.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced the Democratic appointments to the panel earlier this week.
“I am proud to name six strong champions of women, families and facts to stand up against the latest Republican assault on women’s health,” Pelosi said in a statement. “Hard-working families deserve better than a taxpayer-funded Republican Select Committee fixated on dismantling women’s health. As Republicans try to take affordable family planning and lifesaving preventive care away from millions of American women, Democrats will be in the room to fight for the truth.”
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., was appointed as the committee’s ranking member.
Schakowsky not only has received thousands from Planned Parenthood, she has called for an investigation of the Center for Medical Progress, who released video recordings of interviews with Planned Parenthood officials, and has sponsored legislation calling for taxpayer funding of abortions.
