WASHINGTON, D.C., March 30, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) — A congressional committee investigating the fetal harvesting industry has issued 12 subpoenas to pro-abortion organizations that have failed to cooperate.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn: “There should be no resistance to letting all the facts come out — but some abortion supporters seem to be clearly rattled with basic facts coming to light.”
“The Select Investigative Panel [on Infant Lives] is working in a thoughtful and thorough manner to find the facts about what exactly is going on at these abortion businesses and procurement organizations,” said panel Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-TN, in a statement. “Unfortunately, some of these organizations have so redacted documents — even after being subpoenaed — that it is impossible for us to get the complete picture of what is actually going on. Others have refused to produce documents required under previous subpoenas, and have threatened to withhold additional subpoenaed information.”
Created as one of the last acts of former Speaker John Boehner, R-OH, last year, the Select Panel is tasked with examining the practices of the fetal harvesting industry. The subpoenas were issued to the fetal harvesting company StemExpress, BioMedIRB — a review board service — and the company Ganogen.
Ganogen uses aborted fetuses for research, including putting human organs into animals for experimentation the company says could result in eventually reducing or eliminating wait times for organ donations.
Eight people and organizations were subpoenaed for documents; four were additionally subpoenaed to provide a deposition for the panel, all to be done in April. Names were redacted in the publicized versions of the subpoenas, but the second redacted subpoena appears to be directed to the attorney for late-term abortionist Dr. Curtis Boyd, whose Southwestern Women's Options clinic has resisted the panel's investigation.
The fourth redacted subpoena appears to be directed to the attorney for the University of New Mexico, which has also resisted the House investigation. Boyd is a volunteer faculty member at the university, and babies aborted at his clinics have been used in at least two university studies.
“There should be no resistance to letting all the facts come out — but some abortion supporters seem to be clearly rattled with basic facts coming to light,” said Blackburn. “Therefore, in the interest of completing our investigation pursuant to H. Res. 461, we will continue to issue subpoenas when necessary to ensure information can be gathered in a timely fashion.”