In the News

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) Wednesday condemned the serious safety and privacy risks posed by dangerous document requests and subpoenas being issued by Republicans on the Select Panel investigating Planned Parenthood.

“Five months ago, House leaders created another Benghazi-like Select Panel — this time to target Planned Parenthood. Unable to substantiate a single allegation against the organization, Republicans are now issuing subpoenas and sweeping document requests to intimidate health care providers, patients, researchers and medical students — all while putting these individuals’ safety and privacy at risk,” DelBene said. “This Select Panel is clearly nothing more than a charade and waste of taxpayers’ money, and should be disbanded.”

At one point in the press conference DelBene and her peers referred to the GOP Select Panel as a “witch hunt.”

DelBene was joined in the press conference by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who has conducted his own review of Planned Parenthood and found no evidence of wrongdoing by the healthcare provider that serves nearly 120,000 patients in Washington each year.

DelBene is an appointed member of Republicans’ Select Panel to Attack Women’s Health, which was established to investigate Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. In her role on the Select Panel, DelBene is fighting to protect women’s access to healthcare and safeguard the privacy and safety of doctors, patients and medical students across the country. The first hearing was held last Wednesday.“At the request of state legislators, I conducted an inquiry into this matter and found no basis for the accusations against Planned Parenthood. Attorneys general and other state officials around the country from both political parties have conducted similar reviews, and each concluded that there was no wrongdoing by any Planned Parenthood affiliate,” Ferguson said. “Congress should focus on the real challenges facing the American people.”

The Chair of the Select Panel, Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), unilaterally issued subpoenas to force healthcare providers and others to disclose the names of doctors, medical students and clinic personnel — putting people’s privacy and safety at risk. For decades, anti-choice extremists have used violence and intimidation to prevent women from exercising their constitutionally-protected right to choose, including a recent shooting in Colorado Springs, Colo., and arson in Pullman, Wash.