GOP Probe Into Planned Parenthood Funding Comes Up Empty

[GMDino]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jason-chaffetz-planned-parenthood-funding_5616ed01e4b0dbb8000de134?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

Quote:WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said Thursday that the GOP's investigation into Planned Parenthood's use of federal funds hasn't turned up anything.

"Did I look at the finances and have a hearing specifically as to the revenue portion and how they spend? Yes. Was there any wrongdoing? I didn't find any," he said during a Judiciary Committee hearing on the family planning provider.

Chaffetz, a candidate for House speaker, grilled Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards during a five-hour hearing last week. He questioned her salary, asked about the organization's expenses and revenues, and pressed Richards on why the group had revenue of $127 million last year if it's a nonprofit. (Nonprofits put their revenues back into their programs.)

But after all that, he concluded that Planned Parenthood isn't doing anything sketchy with its money. "Did we find any wrongdoing? The answer was no," Chaffetz said.

His concession will be music to Democrats' ears, who have long accused Republicans of trying to sink Planned Parenthood because they oppose abortion. The women's health care provider gets about $500 million a year in federal funds, but federal law prohibits any of it from being used for abortions. Instead, the money is used to subsidize a range of health care services for low-income women, including birth control, cancer screenings and tests for sexually transmitted diseases.

Republicans have been ramping up their attacks on Planned Parenthood after anti-abortion activists released heavily edited undercover videos a few months ago that purported to show the family planning provider selling fetal tissue after abortions. Multiple state investigations and a federal investigation have so far been unable to find any facts to support that claim.

Planned Parenthood, which legally accepts money to cover the costs of transporting donated fetal tissue to medical researchers, has slammed the videos as "deceptively edited" and denies any wrongdoing.

Chaffetz said Thursday that he still supports digging into Planned Parenthood's activities, even if they're using their money appropriately.

"I think there will continue to be investigations," he said.

[*Nately120*]

Meh, the right-wing has pretty much built its political career upon championing causes with 0 evidence to support them. They've pretty much spun "zero evidence" into proof they are 100% right before.

[GodHatesBengals]

Lucie will either ignore this or call Chaffetz a progressive and therefore discard anything "his" investigation says.

It's just like the Benghazi thing. It doesn't matter if there's zero evidence; the "investigation" is ongoing from now to eternity, regardless of the cost to taxpayers, for no reason other than that the GOP idiotically thinks it is helping them politically.

[StLucieBengal]

(10-09-2015, 01:56 AM)GodHatesBengals Wrote: Lucie will either ignore this or call Chaffetz a progressive and therefore discard anything "his" investigation says.

It's just like the Benghazi thing. It doesn't matter if there's zero evidence; the "investigation" is ongoing from now to eternity, regardless of the cost to taxpayers, for no reason other than that the GOP idiotically thinks it is helping them politically.

Chaffetz is a progressive .  I have been clear on that whenever he is mentioned on any topic.

The 60 million discretionary spending is the heart of the matter anyway .  The medicaid money is what it is....    They don't need the 60 million.  Not when they make 127 million over expenses.

[StLucieBengal]

(10-08-2015, 11:24 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Meh, the right-wing has pretty much built its political career upon championing causes with 0 evidence to support them.  They've pretty much spun "zero evidence" into proof they are 100% right before.

So have the democrats.

[Belsnickel]

(10-09-2015, 05:19 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: So have the democrats.

And you think that makes it okay? That makes the waste of taxpayer money these investigations are okay? You're damn right both sides do it, but for crying out loud, if you think it is acceptable that it happens at all you are a part of the problem with politics in this country.

[GMDino]

(10-09-2015, 05:18 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Chaffetz is a progressive .  I have been clear on that whenever he is mentioned on any topic.  

The 60 million discretionary spending is the heart of the matter anyway .  The medicaid money is what it is....    They don't need the 60 million.  Not when they make 127 million over expenses.

(10-09-2015, 05:19 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: So have the democrats.

Found nothing wrong.  Period.

If there was an iota of a problem they'd tell us just for elections sake.

You're wrong.

[treee]

(10-09-2015, 07:39 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: And you think that makes it okay? That makes the waste of taxpayer money these investigations are okay? You're damn right both sides do it, but for crying out loud, if you think it is acceptable that it happens at all you are a part of the problem with politics in this country.

Seriously. If the Republicans really wanted get government spending down in a bipartisan manner, instead of trying to eliminate various social services they would be trying to make them more fiscally efficient without negatively impacting their performance.

[Belsnickel]

(10-09-2015, 07:46 AM)treee Wrote: Seriously. If the Republicans really wanted get government spending down in a bipartisan manner, instead of trying to eliminate various social services they would be trying to make them more fiscally efficient without negatively impacting their performance.

Here's my thing, let the GAO do their job. If the GAO brings something to the attention of Congress as being necessary of further investigation, that is when you do it. Don't start a witch hunt based on illegally obtained videos used to make contextually inaccurate claims. If abortion weren't such a divisive subject the GOP Representatives involved in all of this would have egg on their face, but they'll still be heroes to those on their side of things. Our elected officials are already down to one third of their time in Washington being available to actually do their jobs because of how much time is spent fund raising and trying to be reelected. Maybe, just maybe, they should focus the remaining small amount of time that they actually owe to the American people to do their jobs to being legislators and passing legislation. How long has it been since we've seen a budget passed? Or any substantial piece of legislation since the ACA? Is there a reason this people are too much like children to actually come together, hash out differences of opinion, compromise, and be statesmen instead of politicians?

I'm so tired of it. This is why I stopped caring so much about the federal level. Our nation seemingly does not want adults running our country. They want the children's table to reign supreme and bickering and gridlock to be the story of the day. Frankly, it's sickening. The fact that people want, they want to see leadership in the House that will cause this gridlock is just asinine. I don't want bills that are for expansive government to just flow freely, but I'd like to see people willing to actually compromise instead. Compromise is not a dirty word. As long as you are still working towards your vision, you can take a detour, just get back on that main road, or find one of those nice country dirt roads that will get you there.

Sorry, got a little feisty this morning.

/rant

[*bfine32*]

Is that Huffington Post I see in that link address?

[RICHMONDBENGAL_07]

(10-09-2015, 08:53 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: Here's my thing, let the GAO do their job. If the GAO brings something to the attention of Congress as being necessary of further investigation, that is when you do it. Don't start a witch hunt based on illegally obtained videos used to make contextually inaccurate claims. If abortion weren't such a divisive subject the GOP Representatives involved in all of this would have egg on their face, but they'll still be heroes to those on their side of things. Our elected officials are already down to one third of their time in Washington being available to actually do their jobs because of how much time is spent fund raising and trying to be reelected. Maybe, just maybe, they should focus the remaining small amount of time that they actually owe to the American people to do their jobs to being legislators and passing legislation. How long has it been since we've seen a budget passed? Or any substantial piece of legislation since the ACA? Is there a reason this people are too much like children to actually come together, hash out differences of opinion, compromise, and be statesmen instead of politicians?

I'm so tired of it. This is why I stopped caring so much about the federal level. Our nation seemingly does not want adults running our country. They want the children's table to reign supreme and bickering and gridlock to be the story of the day. Frankly, it's sickening. The fact that people want, they want to see leadership in the House that will cause this gridlock is just asinine. I don't want bills that are for expansive government to just flow freely, but I'd like to see people willing to actually compromise instead. Compromise is not a dirty word. As long as you are still working towards your vision, you can take a detour, just get back on that main road, or find one of those nice country dirt roads that will get you there.

Sorry, got a little feisty this morning.

/rant

No you actually make a good point.  Honestly I've rethought about some things. The govt is way more involved in things than I'd care for.  Hearing about all the gun violence, I used to be all about more "gun control" but I've realized it's not going to make much of a difference.  Some people just feel the need to be "packing".  I don't and never have.  But it's  not my decision to make for others though.  They might live in a different place than me.

[*PhilHos*]

(10-09-2015, 12:04 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Is that Huffington Post I see in that link address?

Yes. I tried to do a quick google search to see if anyone else reported and the only other link was MSNBC.

Now, it's possible that the conservative sites don't want to report it or at least are still trying to figure out how to spin it, but I still have to wonder why this is only being reported by 2 left-leaning sites.

[Blutarsky]

(10-08-2015, 11:24 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Meh, the right-wing has pretty much built its political career upon championing causes with 0 evidence to support them.  They've pretty much spun "zero evidence" into proof they are 100% right before.

Yeah zero evidence. This investigation just appeared out of the blue.  The IRS scandal zero evidence, Hildabeests e-mails zero evidence, Benghazi zero evidence...we all know that went down because of a YouTube video.

[Belsnickel]

(10-09-2015, 12:56 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Yes. I tried to do a quick google search to see if anyone else reported and the only other link was MSNBC.

Now, it's possible that the conservative sites don't want to report it or at least are still trying to figure out how to spin it, but I still have to wonder why this is only being reported by 2 left-leaning sites.

I want to know the context of his statements. Were they in a press conference? Buried in some other text? I can find nothing about it on his website or the committee's either. I mean, we are talking HuffPo and MSNBC, so I'd think it it were fallacious there would be some sort of commentary to that regard as well. But nothing.

Edit: The more I think about it, the more I'm betting that it was timed to be intentionally glossed over because of the Speaker elections.

[BigPapaKain]

(10-09-2015, 12:56 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Yes. I tried to do a quick google search to see if anyone else reported and the only other link was MSNBC.

Now, it's possible that the conservative sites don't want to report it or at least are still trying to figure out how to spin it, but I still have to wonder why this is only being reported by 2 left-leaning sites.

Because the Right doesn't want to admit they were wrong or to look like they've suffered a defeat.

[GMDino]

(10-09-2015, 03:50 PM)BigPapaKain Wrote: Because the Right doesn't want to admit they were wrong or to look like they've suffered a defeat.

Its not a defeat...they just need more hearings. 

[StLucieBengal]

If you watched the head of PP being asked questions then you know there is something going on. Besides that hearing that Chaffetz ran wasn't on them selling body parts.

But nice job trying to sweep it all away lol

[GodHatesBengals]

(10-09-2015, 10:12 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: If you watched the head of PP being asked questions then you know there is something going on.   Besides that hearing that Chaffetz ran wasn't on them selling body parts.  

But nice job trying to sweep it all away lol

Lol we just need more investigations.

[Belsnickel]

(10-09-2015, 10:12 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: If you watched the head of PP being asked questions then you know there is something going on. Besides that hearing that Chaffetz ran wasn't on them selling body parts.

But nice job trying to sweep it all away lol

I did watch it, and I agree something was going on. It was a hearing where the people asking the questions had already made up their minds and so was a pointless exercise as they wouldn't listen to what she had to say.

And if it was not on the selling of baby parts, why subpoena the videos? If it wasn't a reaction to the videos, then what evidence of wrongdoing did they have as a basis for the hearing? Without the videos there is nothing, so if you claim it wasn't about that then you are pointing to an even bigger waste of time and money.

But hey, the report from the committee didn't even point to any wrong doing. Just tried to make every justification they could that PP was not necessary so they could defund it, but no mention of any wrongdoing.

[StLucieBengal]

(10-09-2015, 10:45 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I did watch it, and I agree something was going on. It was a hearing where the people asking the questions had already made up their minds and so was a pointless exercise as they wouldn't listen to what she had to say.

And if it was not on the selling of baby parts, why subpoena the videos? If it wasn't a reaction to the videos, then what evidence of wrongdoing did they have as a basis for the hearing? Without the videos there is nothing, so if you claim it wasn't about that then you are pointing to an even bigger waste of time and money.

But hey, the report from the committee didn't even point to any wrong doing. Just tried to make every justification they could that PP was not necessary so they could defund it, but no mention of any wrongdoing.

That hearing was over the 60 mil of discretionary gov funding they receive.   There will be others to come.

Which she confirmed they didn't need that 60m . Since they take in 127m over expenses