U.S. House votes to create special panel to investigate Planned Parenthood’s sale of baby parts

The U.S. House passed a resolution (H. Res. 461) Wednesday to create a select panel to further probe Planned Parenthood’s role in the sale of aborted baby parts.

Lawmakers approved the panel on abortion and fetal tissue procurement by a near party-line vote of 242-184, with a majority of Republicans in favor of the action and most Democrats opposed.

The resolution allows eight Republicans and six Democrats to investigate with greater intensity Planned Parenthood’s role in the trafficking of baby body parts.

The action comes in the wake of 10 undercover videos released by The Center for Medical Progress, showing Planned Parenthood executives discussing illegal activities. The group’s top-level officials and abortionists were caught on tape describing how they harvest the organs of aborted babies for profit, manipulate the abortion procedure, and commit what appears to be illegal partial-birth abortions. All activities are crimes under federal law.

H. Res. 461 notes the following:

The select panel is authorized and directed to conduct a full and complete investigation and study and issue a final report of its findings (and such interim reports as it may deem necessary) regarding—

(1) medical procedures and business practices used by entities involved in fetal tissue procurement;

(2) any other relevant matters with respect to 18 fetal tissue procurement;

(3) Federal funding and support for abortion providers;

(4) the practices of providers of second and 22 third trimester abortions, including partial birth 23 abortion and procedures that may lead to a child 24 born alive as a result of an attempted abortion;

(5) medical procedures for the care of a child born alive as a result of an attempted abortion; and

(6) any changes in law or regulation necessary as a result of any findings made under this sub- section.

The U.S. House has held multiple hearing on the abortion giant’s sale of baby body parts, and even questioned Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards over the group’s over $500 million in annual taxpayer funding.

A total of 240 Republicans and two Democrats voted in favor of the resolution; 183 Democrats and one Republican voted against. Eight members were absent.

During consideration on the House floor, a motion was adopted to increase the number of Democratic members on the panel from five to six.

The panel will be part of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and its members will be appointed by the House Speaker.