Bills
| 3.23.22

Creating a House Panel to Investigate Tissue Harvesting from Aborted Fetuses (H. Res. 461)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H. Res. 461?

(Updated March 18, 2017)

This resolution would establish a Select Investigative Panel of the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the House of Representatives. The select panel would be composed of 13 members, no more than five of whom would be appointed by the House Minority Leader.

The select panel would complete a full investigation and deliver a report on the following:

  • Medical procedures and business practices used by entities involved in obtaining tissue from fetuses;

  • Any other relevant matters related to the procurement of fetal tissue;

  • Federal funding and support for abortion providers;

  • The practices and providers of second and third trimester abortions, including partial birth abortion and procedures that may lead to an infant being born alive as a result of an attempted abortion;

  • Medical procedures for the care of a child born alive following an attempted abortion;

  • Any recommendations for changes in law.

The select panel’s chair would be empowered to authorize and issue subpoenas related to the investigation, and question witnesses at hearings for longer than five minutes after consulting with the ranking minority member of the panel.

Argument in favor

There has been more than enough evidence that points to abortion providers altering their methods to preserve fetal tissue for reuse that Congress should investigate these practices.

Argument opposed

This will lead to a partisan witch hunt. It will undermine the operations of abortion providers and groups that use aborted fetus tissue to conduct research.

Impact

Abortion providers and groups that utilize fetal tissue which may be subpoenaed and testify before the select panel, and members of the select panel.

Cost of H. Res. 461

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: The Vice Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) believes:

“No issue is more deserving of our undivided attention than protecting the dignity of human life. Over the past several weeks we have been asking serious and, frankly, troubling questions about how infant lives are being treated. What our investigation has shown us so far is we have many more questions than we have answers. This select panel will devote the time necessary to get the facts in this investigation and help ensure that the most innocent lives among us are given the respect they deserve as human babies.”

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has already been investigating Planned Parenthood’s abortion practices, while the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have been conducting their own investigations.

Of Note: While Planned Parenthood often finds itself in the news because of the abortion services they offer — abortions are just a fraction of what they do. From cancer screenings, to HIV tests, STI testing, to sex education, and family counseling, Planned Parenthood has a wide range of services.

In mid-July, 2015, undercover videos shot by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) were released, claiming to show Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of the organs and tissue of aborted fetuses. CMP claims that the: 

"criminal conspiracy to make money off of aborted baby parts reaches to the very highest levels of their organization. Elected officials must listen to the public outcry for Planned Parenthood to be held accountable to the law and for our tax dollars to stop underwriting this barbaric abortion business.”

These allegations are part of the root cause for bills like this one. Planned Parenthood has countered the claims, stating that tissue donations for scientific research do happen, but that reimbursements are only for their expenses. From CNN: "The group also says it helps people donate tissue "with full, appropriate consent from patients and under the highest  ethical and legal standards," according to a statement from spokesman Eric Ferrero. Later, Ferrero issued another statement saying: 

"These outrageous claims are flat-out untrue, but that doesn't matter to politicians with a longstanding political agenda to ban abortion and defund Planned Parenthood. Women and families who make the decision to donate fetal tissue for lifesaving scientific research should be honored, not attacked and demeaned."

Media:

Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: "Humanstemcell" by Ryddragyn at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons)