Katko voted to create committee intimidating scientists and medical researchers
Today, House Republicans’ “witch hunt” against women’s health access continues, with their wasteful Select Committee holding its second hearing of the year this afternoon.
Vulnerable Congressman John Katko voted in favor of creating the committee last October, despite the fact that multiple investigations cleared Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing pertaining to the misleading videos created by anti-choice activists who have since been indicted.
Remember that Katko went back on his campaign promise and voted to defund Planned Parenthood four times, a position squarely at odds with seven in ten voters in his own district and to the right of his moderate Republican colleague, Congressman Richard Hanna.
The Republican Select Committee’s efforts to villainize Planned Parenthood are a retread of the repeated, politically-motivated attacks on the organization that are the hallmark of Katko’s House Republican conference. The Republican-led committee Katko voted to create is abusing its power to pursue their anti-women’s health agenda, and it’s wasting hundreds of thousands in taxpayer dollars
And as evidenced by today’s hearing, Republicans are now using the committee to intimidate doctors and medical researchers.
Republicans have now issued subpoenas for the names of medical researchers trying to cure cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases in their continued effort to ruin Planned Parenthood and take away its funding, which means women’s health suffers for John Katko’s agenda.
“Congressman John Katko’s vote for the House Republicans’ Select Committee makes him responsible for its attacks on women’s health and going after cancer researchers,” said Bryan Lesswing at the DCCC. “Central New York families deserve a leader who will do everything they can to protect women’s health. Instead, Katko has given his Republican colleagues carte blanche to intimidate cancer researchers in the name of attacking Planned Parenthood.”
Background
Since Entering Congress John Katko Has Voted To Defund Planned Parenthood Four Times. [Vote #504, 9/18/15; Vote #505, 9/18/15; Vote #527, 9/30/15; Vote #568, 10/23/15]
During The 114th Congress Richard Hanna Has Voted Once To Defund Planned Parenthood. [Vote #504, 9/18/15]