Rep. Watson Coleman Statement Following Whistleblower Report on Baseless Attacks on Planned Parenthood
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) released the below statement following the letter sent by Ranking Member Elijah Cummings to the Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Sectary, Eric Hargan. The letter outlines documents regarding an effort by the Trump Administration to allow states to terminate Planned Parenthood as a healthcare provider for Medicaid recipients.
“I served on the Select Investigative Panel to Attack Women’s Health that spent more than a year peddling conspiracy theories and outright lies by anti-abortion extremists to attack women’s health services. I am troubled, but sadly not surprised, that the Trump Administration would allow states to strip away access to healthcare for Americans based on false accusations that the Oversight and Government Reform Committee debunked on a bipartisan basis. The Trump Administration must immediately retract their letter to state Medicaid directors allowing them to use this false information as a basis for terminating Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to Planned Parenthood. When those in power use false information to expedite dangerous policies and bolster good press around events such as the March for Life rally -- innocent people are undoubtedly harmed. This attack on the American people’s healthcare, in particular women’s healthcare, must stop. I commend the brave whistleblower for shedding light on this extremely troubling report.”
Background:
In her first term, Rep. Watson Coleman was selected to serve on the Select Investigative Panel, which was established by Republicans in response to the release of doctored videos by fringe anti-abortion activists, deceptively edited to make it appear as if Planned Parenthood facilities were selling fetal tissue. After wasting millions of taxpayer dollars, harassing doctors and scientists, and propagating misleading information about biomedical research, the panel found no illegal activity by Planned Parenthood. The panel was disbanded after 15 months before the start of the 115th Congress.
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