WASHINGTON, D.C. (WMOT) -- The investigations of a Congressional committee chaired by Tennessee Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn is being likened to the tactics used in the 1950s by anti-communist crusader Senator Joe McCarthy.
Blackburn heads the House Select Panel on Infant Lives. The panel was convened by House Republican leadership in reaction to the release last year of undercover video showing Planned Parenthood employees discussing the sale of tissue from aborted fetuses for research purposes.
The ranking Democrat serving on the panel, Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky, charges that Repblicsns are endangering lives by using the panel's subpoena power to learn the names of individual scientists using the tissues in their research.
“The chair’s staff has made it perfectly clear that any name turned over the panel may be released to the public. There is no reason to create such a database, and the chair has used her position to compel this information is, frankly, reminiscent Senator Joe McCarthy’s abusive tactics.”
Blackburn counters that she’s following congressional guidelines for the release of information uncovered by her panel and that there will be “appropriate redactions.” But she goes on to say the panel’s work must continue.
“There is tremendous concern that you have this procurement industry that has somehow grown up and is showing tremendous amount of profit every year.”
If a profit is being made by the fetal tissue industry, Blackburn notes that would be a violation of federal law.
Opponents say the panel is conducting a witch hunt in an effort to further cripple the nation’s shrinking network of abortion providers.