Republicans are preparing for a battle this month over federal funding for Planned Parenthood, with some more-conservative members calling for the fight to go all the way to a government shutdown if need be.
But first: committee hearings.
Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee will hold the first of what is expected to be several hearings on the release of a series of videos allegedly depicting Planned Parenthood engaged in the sale of fetal tissue, which is illegal.
Planned Parenthood says it only charges the overhead costs of donating fetal tissue to medical research.
The Judiciary Committee’s investigation so far has concentrated on answering “whether the federal law that prohibits partial-birth abortions and the killing of infants born alive were violated, the history of enforcement of those laws, and the sufficiency of those laws,” according to a release put out by the committee. Several other House committees have launched their own investigations of Planned Parenthood.
The hearing will address what laws are in place, whether those laws prevent Planned Parenthood from taking the same actions in the future, and what Congress can do to ensure that abortions will not be performed as a “as a means to gain fetal tissue for research,” a GOP Judiciary spokesperson said.