By MARSHA MERCER
Leave it to House Republicans to turn an
accomplished executive making $520K a year into an underdog.
After they forced out House Speaker John Boehner, who
refused to shut down the government over funding for Planned Parenthood,
conservatives turned their fire on the nonprofit’s president Cecile Richards.
By attacking her personally, they made her an instant celebrity, a champion of
high quality health care for poor women, and a hero to many.
The government now has a lifeline until Dec. 11 and Planned
Parenthood is still providing health care services with federal reimbursements.
As for Richards, her marathon performance Tuesday before the House Oversight
and Government Reform Committee showed why she earns the big bucks.
Bullied for more than five hours, she didn’t cave,
get flustered or lash out. She calmly defended her organization. She kept her
cool.
Which is more than you can say for members of
Congress. They were as emotional as she was composed. Republicans were
antagonistic and rude, Democrats apologetic and shocked, shocked.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, interrupted Richards 19
times in just five minutes. Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., a nurse, insisted that,
“Abortion is not health care.”
Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., said he hoped every
American woman was watching the hearing.
“My colleagues say there’s no war on women. Look at
how you’ve been treated as a witness -- intimidation, talking over,
interrupting, cutting off sentences, criticizing you because of your salary. .
. Lord almighty, what’s America coming to?”
Connolly railed about the “the disrespect, the
misogyny rampant here today.”
But when Rep. John Duncan, R-Tenn., asked Richards
if she should be treated differently than male witnesses who often face tough
questioning, she responded in a flash:
“Absolutely not. That’s not how my mama raised me.”
Richards, 57, the daughter of the late Texas Gov.
Ann Richards, is no stranger to toxic Washington. She worked years ago as a
deputy staff director for House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America since 2006,
she has said, “We aim to be the largest kick-butt political organization.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said
trying to “defund” Planned Parenthood is an “exercise in futility” with
President Obama in the White House. For House Republicans, though, Planned
Parenthood may be the new Obamacare – an object of disgust to be flogged and voted
against repeatedly.
Rep. Martha Roby,
R-Ala., led a symbolic effort to end funding Wednesday as the House passed the
continuing resolution to keep the government open.
“I believe we have to
fight until the very end,” she said.
Several committees are putting Planned Parenthood under
a microscope, and Boehner agreed to create a select committee to investigate the
nonprofit similar to the House Select Committee on Benghazi.
Republicans have battled Planned Parenthood for
decades. It provides 327,000 abortions annually, and its separate political arm
aids Democratic candidates.
In July, an undercover sting video surfaced,
purporting to show Planned Parenthood officials cavalierly negotiating the sale
of fetal tissue for research and discussing procedures to ensure intact fetal organs.
Other disturbing videos followed.
Planned Parenthood says the videos were heavily and
deceptively edited, and it denies any wrongdoing. Richards insisted that no federal
funds are used for abortions except in the rare circumstances allowed under the
law and that Planned Parenthood donates a small amount of fetal tissue to
research in two states at the cost of its expenses.
About 2.7 million women and men a year, many of them
low income, go to Planned Parenthood clinics for cancer screenings, birth
control, tests and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and other
services.
Planned Parenthood receives $450 million annually in
federal funds -- $390 million in Medicaid reimbursements for services provided,
less than $1 million in child health and Medicare funds and $60 million from
the National Family Planning Program, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget
Office reported.
Critics contend taxpayers’ money could be better spent
on cancer research.
Yet strong majorities of Americans support funding
for Planned Parenthood, four separate polls by news organizations and the
nonpartisan Pew Research Center reported this week.
“All women in this country deserve to have the same opportunities
as members of Congress and their families for high quality and timely health
care,” Cecile Richards said.
Her mama would have been proud.
©2015 Marsha Mercer. All rights reserved.
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