Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) paid the price for a shoddy presentation today on Capitol Hill, when Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards told him to “check your source” in regards to a chart that he claimed showed breast exams done by the organization decreasing while the number of abortions went up.
Richards testified before the House Oversight Committee which launched an investigation after sting videos were released by the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress, claiming to show Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of fetal tissue.
Chaffetz presented a slide that had two arrows intersecting, one pointing downward while the other pointed upward.
“You created this slide. I have no idea what it is,” Richards said.
“Well, it is the reduction over the course of years. In pink, that’s the reduction in the breast exams and the red is the increase in the abortions,” Chaffetz said. “That’s what’s going on in the organization.”
Richards responded that she had never seen the slide before and that it “absolutely does not reflect what’s happening at Planned Parenthood.”
“You’re going to deny that we took those numbers out of your report?” Chaffetz said before Richards interrupted.
“I’m going to deny this slide that you just showed me that no one has ever provided us before,” she said. “We’ve provided you all the information about everything — all the services that Planned Parenthood provides. And it doesn’t feel like we’re trying to get to the truth here. You just showed me this.”
“I pulled those numbers directly out of your corporate reports,” Chaffetz said as Richard’s lawyer leaned in.
“Oh, excuse me,” Richards interrupted again. “My lawyers have informed me that the source of this is Americans United for Life which is an anti-abortion group, so I would check your source.”
“Then we will get to the bottom — of the truth of that,” Chaffetz stammered.
Watch:
Leave a Reply