Tomorrow, Wednesday September 9, 2015, at 10:30am (Eastern Time), the House Judiciary Committee will conduct the first congressional hearing on Planned Parenthood. The hearing’s title will be “Planned Parenthood Exposed: Examining the Horrific Abortion Practices at the Nation’s Largest Abortion Provider.”
According to the Committee, a group of selected experts are scheduled to speak on the exposed practices of Planned Parenthood. Topics of discussion will include late-term abortions, altering abortion processes for harvesting of fetal organs, and the history of laws protecting the unborn.
The witnesses for Wednesday’s hearing will be:
Ms. Priscilla J. Smith, Director and Senior Fellow, Program for the Study of Reproductive Justice, Information Society Project, Yale Law School
Mr. James Bopp, Jr., General Counsel, National Right to Life
Ms. Melissa Ohden, Abortion Survivor
Ms. Gianna Jessen, Abortion Survivor
A very encouraging joint statement, made by Judiciary Committee Chairman Bod Goodlatte (R-V.A.) and Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks (R-A.Z.), gives hope that Planned Parenthood will be placed under hard scrutiny. The statement reads:
“Planned Parenthood and its executives must answer for the alleged atrocities brought to light in the videos by the Center for Medical Progress. For the past two months, the House Judiciary Committee has been investigating the alleged acts of Planned Parenthood and its affiliates, and now the American people will have a chance to understand just how horrific these practices are to the unborn.
We are pleased to have the opportunity to question a panel of experts on this issue in order to ascertain how Planned Parenthood may have violated federal laws in the course of its alleged practices, and the atrocities associated with altering abortions in order to obtain the body parts of fetuses.
This hearing is the next step in the Committee’s ongoing investigation into Planned Parenthood and part of the Committee’s commitment to fighting for the rights of the unborn.”
As was mentioned in the statement, the House Judiciary Committee conducted an investigation into Planned Parenthood following the release of the videos from the Center of Medical Progress. According to the Committee, they did so to determine whether or not the federal laws prohibiting partial-birth abortions and the killing of infants born alive had been broken, how these laws have been enforced throughout history, and if these laws have been adequate.
The hearing will be broadcast live at: http://judiciary.house.gov/. Also, please stay tuned to our blog to hear a summary of the details, following the hearing.