The six Democrats picked to serve on the new House select committee investigating Planned Parenthood's fetal tissue practices have received more than $81,000 from political action committees affiliated with the non-profit group.
According to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, the representatives received a combined $81,000 in donations from Planned Parenthood's PAC since 1998, as first reported by Katie Yoder of NewsBusters, a project of the Media Research Center, which calls itself "America's leading media watchdog in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias."
The majority of the donations, $43,362, were made in the 2012 and 2014 election cycles, according to Lifenews.
On Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced the Democratic appointments to the Energy and Commerce Committee's Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood.
"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."
Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., will serve as ranking member alongside Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., Diana DeGette, D-Colo., Jackie Speier, D-Calif., Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.
The individual totals donated to the representatives are as follows:
- Schakowsy: $11,865
Nadler: $5,535
DeGette: $36,735
Speier: $4,000
DelBene: $19,232
Watson Coleman: $2,500
The panel is charged with examining Planned Parenthood's "medical procedures and abortion business practices," which came under question following the recent release of hidden-camera videos allegedly showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of aborted fetal tissue.
Former House Speaker John Boehner said in an Oct. 23 statement: "At my request, three House committees have been investigating the abortion business, but we still don't have the full truth. Chairman [Rep. Marsha] Blackburn and our members will have the resources and the subpoena power to get to the bottom of these horrific practices, and build on our work to protect the sanctity of all human life."
