Oregon House committee to hold hearing on Planned Parenthood

Oregon House Republican Office

Public Hearing Granted In Response To Request From House Republican Members

Salem, OR – House Republican members Friday announced that the House Committee on Healthcare will hold a public hearing to question Oregon Planned Parenthood officials after allegations emerged this summer that affiliates of Planned Parenthood have been selling and transferring fetal organs and tissue from aborted fetuses for profit, a practice that is illegal under federal law. The announcement comes after House Republican members sent a letter to Committee Chair Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland) requesting a hearing to address the growing concerns of potential violations of federal law.

“We now know that a Planned Parenthood affiliate in Oregon has entered into at least one agreement with a taxpayer-funded institution to transfer placental tissue within the state,” said Representative Jodi Hack (R-Salem). “The people of Oregon deserve to know what other transactions are taking place and how much taxpayer money Planned Parenthood is receiving through these transactions. Additionally, we need to find out if laws are being broken or ignored.”

“It is encouraging that the majority party has recognized that this is not a partisan issue,” said Representative Gail Whitsett (R-Klamath Falls). “The fact that Planned Parenthood is selling the body parts of aborted babies should disturb all of us. If this troubling and illegal practice is taking place in Oregon, it needs to stop immediately.”

On August 10, 2015, members of the House Republican Caucus sent a letter to Chair Greenlick requesting a public hearing to determine whether Planned Parenthood’s affiliates in Oregon are complying with state and federal law.

“The claims by Planned Parenthood that it is not profiting from this practice, and that all ‘transfers’ are for ‘research’ have not yet been supported with facts,” stated the letter to Chair Greenlick. “Verbal assurances from those who may be violating the law are simply not good enough. Since Planned Parenthood’s national CEO has said that she ‘looks forward to the facts coming out,’ a hearing before your committee is the most direct means of assuring such disclosure.”

After receiving the letter, Chair Greenlick contacted members of the House Republican Caucus and agreed to hold a hearing to obtain testimony from Planned Parenthood officials during this month’s legislative days.

The hearing is scheduled to take place at 2:00 p.m. in HR-E on Monday, September 28.