Democrats want to "bury their heads" on the topic of Planned Parenthood funding, according to House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, ahead of a hearing on the agency being held on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
"They have a political agenda," Chaffetz told
Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program. "That is, they want their funding arm, which is Planned Parenthood, to get out the vote, and all the money that they transfer from a 501(c)3 into a 501 (c) 4 to engage in these political activities, they want that funding to be there."
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards will testify before Chaffetz' committee, reports
ABC News, and is expected to defend her organization, according to written testimony she submitted to the Oversight Committee and obtained by ABC News.
Story continues below video.
In the testimony, Richards criticizes David Daleiden, whose Center for Medical Progress released the undercover videos allegedly showing Planned Parenthood employees discussing the sale of fetal tissue and organs.
Chaffetz told Fox News that he does not think tax dollars should be going to fund Planned Parenthood, and he has questions about the discretionary part of the funding, which was about $60 million.
"In the last reporting period, Planned Parenthood collected $100 million more dollars than they actually spent," said Chaffetz. "So why should federal taxpayers have to supplement their political activities? I just don't think it should have to happen."
In her written testimony, Richards says Daleiden and his colleagues were "outrageous" while trying to "entrap Planned Parenthood physicians and staff for nearly three years," and it is "clear they acted fraudulently and unethically, and perhaps illegally."
But, she complained, Planned Parenthood and not Daleiden is "currently subject to four separate congressional investigations."
Richards also notes that the organization serves 2.7 million women across the country. Planned Parenthood also contends that only 3 percent of its overall services go to abortions.
Also on Tuesday's Fox appearance, Chaffetz said he's throwing his support behind South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy to replace House Speaker John Boehner, who announced his resignation on Friday.
"The Republican Conference needs somebody who can unite the body, represent us far and wide, and articulate the message, and Trey Gowdy is the best person to do that," said Chaffetz. "I actually think he'll do it if we get behind it and support it."
However, he noted that the seat isn't something Gowdy would necessarily seek, as "he's not someone to step out there," but still, "if you want the best person to talk about why conservatism is the right answer for America, Trey Gowdy is our best foot forward."
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Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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