Congressional "investigators" are finally going to
allow Planned Parenthood to testify at a hearing about those bogus videos and whether or not the organization sells baby parts. That hearing of the House Oversight Committee—led by and featuring several members of the bunch trying to defund Planned Parenthood—is scheduled for the day before government funding runs out and the government might shut down.
Democratic members are demanding that David Daleiden, the man behind the video operation, is also called to testify at the Sept. 29 hearing. If he isn't, they say in a letter to Chairman Jason Chaffetz today that they will call him to their own minority hearing.
They say the hearing in the Oversight Committee, which includes several members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, is part of the "broader power struggle to unseat House Speaker John Boehner, led by an extreme wing of the Republican Party that is using this issue to force a government shutdown unless the Speaker bows to their demands." […]
"We strongly oppose this biased, one-sided attack against Planned Parenthood that disregards the questionable activities of Mr. Daleiden merely to help the House Freedom Caucus shut down the government and potentially oust Speaker Boehner—all while jeopardizing healthcare services for millions of women across the country," they wrote.
The timing of the hearing is pretty suspect, another indication that this band of Republicans is dead-set on forcing this confrontation with Boehner and on having a shutdown. As to whether they'll also invite Daleiden to testify, well, that doesn't seem likely. Given that the videos have
proven to be bullpucky by various outside experts, Daleiden's best bet is to just clam up about the whole thing. In fact, that exactly has been his strategy. House Republicans might indulge him in that, but a
federal judge is having none of it.
Judge William Orrick said in a hearing that the Center for Medical Progress must comply with the court’s requests for documents, escalating the weeks-long legal battle over the secret videos. The organization's founder, David Daleiden, had previously told the court that the group planned to invoke the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
The National Abortion Federation is suing over what it says is CMP's illegal secret recording of various providers. They are asking the judge to block the release of any more videos, citing the
increasing threats of violence to providers and to officials of biomedical research companies using fetal tissue.
Sign if you agree: Democrats must stand strong. No cuts to Planned Parenthood. No government shutdowns