Members of Congress Press for Planned Parenthood Investigation

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jul 13, 2011   |   12:01PM   |   Washington, DC

More members of Congress are pressing for an investigation of the Planned Parenthood abortion business following a new comprehensive report issued by Americans United for Life detailing extensive abuses.

Americans United for Life issued a new report featuring a groundbreaking analysis of the nation’s largest abortion business and saying it has uncovered evidence of systemic financial irregularities within the abortion giant, which receives more than $363 million in federal and state taxpayer funding, and that Congress should investigate.

AUL staff combed through 20 years of Planned Parenthood financial data and the report documents the known and alleged abuses by Planned Parenthood, including the misuse of federal health care and family planning funds, failure to report criminal child sexual abuse, failure to comply with parental involvement laws, assisting those in engaged in prostitution and/or sex trafficking, and dangerous misuse of the abortion drug RU-486.

Tomorrow, AUL officials will hold a press conference with Rep. Renee Ellmers, a North Carolina Republican, and Rep. Randy Hultgren, an Illinois Republican, who have invited other members of Congress to join them in calling for a congressional probe of the abortion giant.

Congressman Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Republican, rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, and Rep. Bill Huizenga, a Michigan republican, will join the event as well.

In a letter to her colleagues this week, Ellmers writes, “I invite my colleagues to review the findings of this report and to join us on Thursday as we voice our concerns about the issues raised  and express our renewed commitment to seeking accountability for taxpayers and for investigating whether taxpayers are funding an organization that misuses government funding and violates state laws.”

“I will be hosting a press conference on Thursday, together with Rep. Randy Hultgren to discuss the AUL Report’s extensive documentation of the systemic fraud and abuse inherent within Planned Parenthood and the need for Congress to investigate how Planned Parenthood is using federal money,” Ellmers said.

Ellmers discussed the report in the letter, saying it covered ” together with Rep. Randy Hultgren to discuss the AUL Report’s extensive documentation of the systemic fraud and abuse inherent within Planned Parenthood and the need for Congress to investigate how Planned Parenthood is using federal money.”

“Among other offenses, the AUL Report outlines Planned Parenthood’s record of overbilling government health care programs, failing to report the sexual abuse of minor girls, violating state parental involvement laws, and opposing legislation introduced to protect women and young girls,” the congresswoman said. “AUL’s Report also found that as government funding of Planned Parenthood has doubled, so has Planned Parenthood’s abortion business.”

The call from the two members for an investigation follows comments from pro-life Rep,. Cliff Stearns of Florida, who heads a congressional subcommittee and says such an investigation may take place in his panel. Stearns, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce  Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee says he is potentially planning hearings on the abortion business.

“I believe my Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee should review the findings of this report and possibly hold a hearing on why taxpayers are funding Planned Parenthood with its record of abuse and violations of state laws,” Stearns told Politico. “The American people deserve a concrete reason for funding Planned Parenthood; a reason I do not believe exits.”

Stearns later told Americans United for Life more about his feelings on the matter of Planned Parenthood.

Stearns said the following: “Taxpayers deserve accountability, and the report prepared by Americans United for Life demonstrates egregious abuses of taxpayer funds by Planned Parenthood. The legal team at Americans United for Life reviewed two decades of reports, audits, and financial statements regarding Planned Parenthood.”

“The report outlines Planned Parenthood’s record of violating state sexual assault and child abuse reporting laws, and of encouraging young girls to lie about their ages to circumvent state reporting laws. They also found as government funding of Planned Parenthood rises, so does the number of abortions. They found repeated instances of overbilling government health care programs,” he added.

Stearns, a pro-life Florida Republican, previously told Politico he would consider holding hearings on legislation pro-life Rep. Mike Pence sponsored that would revoke taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood and any other abortion agency that receive money under the Title X family planning funding portion of the budget.

The abortion giant responded to the report claiming the information is false.

“We are proud of the trust millions of women place in us every year to provide high quality health care. We approach our work with a deep sense of responsibility to the patients we serve, and recognize that the importance of our work is growing because in many communities we are often the only source of affordable quality health care for women,” the abortion business said. “This so-called report is a politically driven attack by an organization opposed to birth control and expanded access to birth control. It uses discredited, recycled and misleading claims to attack Planned Parenthood and should be viewed with a skeptical eye.”

AUL responded with a point-by-point rebuttal of Planned Parenthood’s “Fact-Check” of AUL’s  recent report.

noted that Planned Parenthood’s response failed to address the most serious of the report’s claims including Planned Parenthood’s misuse of government funding and its failure to comply with state laws.

The unaddressed allegations include:

“It is time for Planned Parenthood to give an accounting for what it has done with millions in taxpayer support,” AUL president Charmaine Yoest said. “The report is one facet of AUL’s strategic plan to end taxpayer subsidies to the abortion industry, to protect women, and to effectuate legal rights for all human beings. The AUL report documents known and alleged abuses by Planned Parenthood, and is intended to be a tool for use in investigating the nation’s largest abortion provider.”

See the full report at https://www.aul.org/aul-special-report-the-case-for-investigating-planned-parenthood/