Top House Democrat Calls Planned Parenthood Panel a ‘Farce,’ Indicates Party May Boycott

A leading House Democrat has indicated that the party’s leadership is considering not participating in the Energy and Commerce Committee’s new select investigative panel on Planned Parenthood.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., the chairman of the Democratic Caucus, said that Democratic leadership is contemplating a boycott of the panel.

“You hate to disengage when that’s your job,” Becerra said. “You hate to not be on the field. You don’t want to ever disarm unilaterally. But it is still a farce, so…”

The Huffington Post added that “Becerra hinted that the party would likely end up participating.”

“Benghazi makes it clear what you are looking at,” Becerra said. “For those who wish to be responsible with our government, who believe our government is supposed to be doing oversight under the Constitution and really try to fulfill our role, it is tough to say that we are just going to distance ourselves because we know it is a political show.”

The Daily Signal previously reported that House Speaker John Boehner recently announced the Republican appointments to the panel.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., will serve as the panel’s chair, and Reps. Joe Pitts, R-Pa.; Diane Black, R-Tenn.; Larry Bucshon, R-Ind.; Sean Duffy, R-Wis.; Andy Harris, R-Md.; Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo.; and Mia Love, R-Utah, will also serve on the panel.

In a statement after her appointment as chair, Blackburn promised “a broad-based, information-gathering, fact-finding mission to answer questions about how we treat and protect life in this country.”

The panel was formed to investigate allegations that Planned Parenthood is trafficking the body parts of aborted babies following the release of a series of undercover videos by the Center for Medical Progress. The most recent video was released Tuesday.

Spokespersons for Planned Parenthood have denied that they make a profit from illegal transactions. The organization recently announced that it will no longer accept “reimbursement” for donations of body parts to researchers.

In a statement regarding the panel, Eric Ferrero, the vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood, called Blackburn “one of Congress’ most extreme opponents of safe and legal abortion” and the other appointments to the panel “overtly political.”

“It seems like the Republican leadership in Congress isn’t even bothering to hide the political agenda behind these investigations any more,” Ferrero said.