Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, this charge laid about subpoena powers is a red herring. Every House committee holds subpoena power, though the structure differs depending on the committee. Granting this standard authority to the select panel ensures its ability to investigate thoroughly the issues within its scope. It would make little sense to convene a select investigative panel with limited investigative power. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the facts are clear about the budget for the select panel. The resolution does not authorize or appropriate additional resources for this panel. It will use existing funds solely. Further, one of Congress' most important duties is oversight of how scarce funds are spent, and that oversight is a proper use of the limited budget the House and its committees receive. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), our colleague.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We are being told by our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that we should be comforted by the fact that the Democratic committee staff did an investigation of Planned Parenthood and found nothing wrong. I think I can say very well with tongue in cheek that is truly like putting the fox to guard the henhouse. Mr. Speaker, in a few moments I will offer an amendment to the resolution. The amendment will make several changes to the resolution that have been requested by the minority. The amendment will change the ratio on the panel to eight Republicans and six Democrats, giving Democrats an additional one member on the panel. The amendment will also make sure that the select panel's subpoena authority is consistent with existing Energy and Commerce Committee rules. We have no objection to the requested changes, and we hope this will encourage our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to participate fully in this important investigation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the opponents of this resolution would have Americans believe that this oversight is unnecessary and political. Nothing is further from the truth. Oversight into entities' use of Federal funds and compliance with Federal law is a fundamental responsibility of Congress and one exercised by both parties, frequently on a bipartisan basis. It is unfortunate that my colleagues across the aisle are refusing to join with us on this particular issue, but charges that it is a politically driven investigation are false. The investigation to be continued by the select investigative panel at the Energy and Commerce Committee is prompted by allegations that abortion providers that receive Federal funds are dismembering children to sell their body parts, possibly while violating Federal laws. The most fundamental right our government was formed to protect is life; and when taxpayer dollars are being used by organizations flagrantly violating that right, we are morally compelled to investigate and respond in accordance with our Constitution. The select investigative panel formed by this resolution is consistent with precedent, including two panels formed by my colleagues across the aisle when they were in the majority. It is laser-focused on the issues raised by the videos and subsequent investigation into Planned Parenthood of fetal tissue collection, abortion procedures, and the Federal laws surrounding those practices. Its existence as a separate body will allow it to complete the full investigation these allegations deserve without shortchanging the important other issues under consideration by the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the full House. It is disappointing that some Members do not want the full truth to come out. When Federal taxpayers have legitimate concerns that their hard-earned dollars are flowing to organizations that sanction the dismemberment of unborn children and that our system of laws have loopholes allowing these atrocities to continue, we as their elected representatives are responsible for ensuring these concerns are heard and responded to. If we as elected representatives of our great Nation can't shed our callousness toward the most vulnerable lives in our society and heed the moral cause of this issue, I have a great fear for our Nation's future and the cruelties we may someday allow other lives to be subjected to. Our freedom rests on the cornerstone right we all have to life, and I fear we have lost sight of that. Amendment Offered by Ms. Foxx

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment to the resolution.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and expose the truth about these outrages through a thorough investigation. We must have the courage to follow the facts wherever they lead in order to strengthen our laws to end these barbaric practices and ensure that unwanted children are no longer discarded in the bins of parts for sale by profit-hungry abortion providers.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the amendment and on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National Day of the Republic of China, also known as Taiwan. October 10 marks 104 years since the beginning of the Wuchang uprising and the eventual establishment of the Republic of China on January 1st, 1912. The United States is fortunate to have Taiwan as a trusted ally, and our countries' mutual interests and shared democratic values continue to strengthen our relationship. The success of Taiwan's democratic society is a testament to the benefits of free enterprise in a strong civil society. It is important that Taiwan have opportunities to contribute to the global community by gaining observer status in organizations, such as the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organization. Allowing Taiwan access to these groups' resources will improve international cooperation and help combat international criminal enterprises. My best wishes to the Taiwanese people as they mark National Day and celebrate their vibrant democracy.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. For those who complain that this bill isn't properly named, let us not forget that at least half of the unborn children who are victims of abortion are female who would grow up to be women. Far too many supporters of abortion on demand ignore that reality and the fact that many abortions are sex-selection abortions. Until they confront that, how can they parse bill titles, particularly those that protect all existing funding for women's health, while ensuring women and their children are not party to the sale of tiny hearts and organs for compensation? Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my colleague from Maryland (Mr. Harris).

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 444 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 444 provides a closed rule for consideration of H.R. 3495, the Women's Public Health and Safety Act. Over the past few months, extremely disturbing information has come to light about the activities of abortion providers and their sale of unborn children's hearts and other organs for compensation. In light of those discoveries, we provide for consideration today of crucial legislation to ensure States are free to ensure their limited taxpayers' dollars do not provide sustaining funding to abortion providers whose activities are found repugnant. H.R. 3495, the Women's Public Health and Safety Act, allows States to make a decision identical to the one this House made earlier this month when we passed H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, which stopped the flow of taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood as investigations continue into its sale of unborn children's parts. As my colleagues noted during debate on H.R. 3134, arguments from the minority that this bill will prevent women from accessing health care ring hollow. We know that federally qualified health centers and rural health centers outnumber Planned Parenthood clinics at a rate of 20 to 1. Of these over 13,000 federally qualified health centers and rural health centers, women have access to any healthcare service provided by Planned Parenthood or other abortion providers with one obvious exception. Because they are federally funded, these true health centers do not perform abortions. Clearly, despite opponents' best efforts to argue otherwise, this bill does not deny healthcare services to women. It does allow States to decide whether their Medicaid funds should support a provider whose atrocities have shocked our national conscience and devalued human life. It is not surprising, though, that we are hearing these hollow arguments about access to healthcare services, as the political machinery of abortion providers has kicked into high gear with scare tactics to protect their business. Abortion is, after all, a business. Planned Parenthood is the single largest abortion business in the country. Recently, they performed over 325,000 abortions in 1 year. That is nearly 900 every day, at a rate of over 35 an hour. They are able to continue that activity, in part, because Planned Parenthood has received over $1 billion in 3 years from Medicaid alone. I have spoken previously on the floor about the absurdity of providing taxpayer funds to organizations that have had their willingness to accept compensation for the remains of unborn children exposed for all to see. Several States, including Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, and Indiana, have recognized that alarming truth and acted on their own to stop providing abortion providers with taxpayer dollars through Medicaid. Unfortunately, the Obama administration has forced those States to continue providing taxpayer dollars to abortion providers. Thankfully, when the Framers of our Constitution established our Nation, they saw fit to give States a right to determine their own affairs and the disposition of their citizens' taxes. Today, we restore federalism to the Medicaid program and enable States to make their own choices on which Medicaid providers to accept, allowing them to stop the flow of taxpayer dollars to organizations that accept compensation for the sale of well-developed unborn children's hearts and bodies. Mr. Speaker, I commend this rule and the underlying bill to my colleagues for their support. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I repeat, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are talking about the Ex-Im Bank because they know that when they talk about protecting organizations that sell babies' hearts and lungs, they are losing. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I have heard the question, Why haven't you done this before? Unfortunately, the full depths to which abortion providers have sunk was not previously public knowledge. The recent release of a number of hidden camera videos exposing the painful dismemberment of unborn children to facilitate the sale of their body parts by Planned Parenthood has provided clear evidence that truly repugnant activities are rampant in the abortion industry and that taxpayer support should never be provided to organizations that participate in the trade of human tissue. One key Planned Parenthood abortionist even said: ``We've been very good at getting heart, lung, liver, because we know that, so I'm not gonna crush that part, I'm gonna basically crush below, I'm gonna to crush above, and I'm gonna see if I can get it all intact.'' In these days of 3-D ultrasounds and high-definition screens, it is impossible to hide the humanity of these child victims. They have fingers and toes, heartbeats, and organs developed enough that tissue collectors will pay $60 a specimen for them. In light of the serious questions raised by these videos, the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform have each launched investigations. While Planned Parenthood does not receive direct Federal funding for abortions, these investigations are warranted, as a recent report from the Government Accountability Office shows that the organization receives an average of 500 million taxpayer dollars each year for other lines of business. Money is fungible, and the Federal funds that Planned Parenthood receives ultimately subsidize their abortion services. Mr. Speaker, that is why today's legislation is so important. In light of the atrocities uncovered in abortion facilities across the country, it is vital that States be empowered to choose to withhold Medicaid funds from flowing to abortion providers that deliberately dismember unborn children to receive compensation for their organs and other body parts. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Early College of Forsyth, which was recently named one of America's top high schools by Newsweek magazine. Established in 2008, Early College of Forsyth is a partnership between Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools and Forsyth Technical Community College. The school provides a small learning community of students with the opportunity to earn both a high school diploma and an associate's degree. By considering their learning needs and providing support services, every student is given the tools to excel in both high school and college courses. Early College of Forsyth provides an advanced educational experience that promotes independence, responsibility for learning, and community involvement. America needs more of this type of innovative learning that equips students for success in college, career, and life.