So this segment was supposed to be about the House of Representatives "defunding" Planned Parenthood.
But as Whoopi Goldberg points out in this clip, Planned Parenthood is not "funded" by the federal government, in that there is no budget item for "Planned Parenthood." PP clinics provide non-abortion health services to those insured by Medicaid. Medicaid then reimburses Planned Parenthood, just like every other insurer out there.
As the former Fox employee on the panel, Jedidiah Bile has to get her kicks in to say it's about religious people being "forced to contribute" to the Planned Parenthood organization.
Whoopi points out that as a taxpayer, she is "forced to contribute" to Donald Trump's stupid wall with Mexico, and that her religious beliefs do not enter into paying taxes.
Then Joy Behar points out that Donald Trump doesn't pay taxes, so there's that.
But then Bile did the unforgivable: tried to add those fake "Center for Medical Progress" videos to the conversation, pretending that they weren't fake and debunked. Three times.
Each time Whoopi had a word for her: "Bullsh*t!"
Frankly, I think a better analogy is that we taxpayers funded $1.5 million dollars to Rep. Marsha Blackburn's Planned Parenthood witch hunt, which goes by the name of the "Select Investigative Panel On Infant Lives" and as a committee for the Congress of the United States of America, used those fake, discredited CMP videos to make their "case." With our taxpayer money!!!
Minority (Democratic) member Jan Schakowsky of Illinois released her own report:
History will not look kindly upon this Panel. Panel Republicans spent nearly $1.6 million taxpayer dollars chasing inflammatory lies being peddled by anti-abortion extremists. Their inappropriate working relationship with these groups put law-abiding doctors and researchers at risk.
“After fifteen months investigating the secretly-recorded and deceptively-edited video allegations, Panel Republicans have uncovered no evidence of wrongdoing. Yet, rather than ‘follow the facts where they lead,’ as Chair Blackburn promised, Panel Republicans ignored them.
“They have repeatedly made false claims, including a series of ‘criminal referrals’ to federal, state, and local law enforcement officials based on unsourced, unverified documents and information. In some instances, Panel Republicans recycled claims of anti-abortion extremists that have already been investigated and dismissed.
“The Panel’s so-called ‘final report’ is illegitimate. Under the resolution, the Panel – not just its chair or majority members – must issue the report. Republicans refused to give Democratic members the opportunity to review the report, failed to hold the required public meeting, and ignored the requirement that the full Panel vote on its release.”
“This Select Investigative Panel leaves behind a legacy of lies, intimidation, and procedural misconduct. It will be remembered, like the House Un-American Activities Committee and McCarthy hearings for its excesses and abuses of power.”