128 GOP lawmakers call for federal probe into Planned Parenthood's taxpayer funding

A group of 128 congressional Republicans is asking the Department of Health and Human Services' internal watchdog to examine how Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates have used government money. Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey and Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma organized the House and Senate request, which was addressed to Inspector General T. March Bell, according to Fox News.

The signers want the office to look at dollars distributed through HHS grants, contracts, sub-awards and other programs, and to establish whether any evidence points to fraud, waste, abuse, misrepresentation or similar wrongdoing in federal health programs. Should investigators find misconduct, the lawmakers say the inspector general could weigh penalties, including administrative remedies, suspension, barring the organization from federal healthcare programs, or passing cases to other authorities.

Lankford said the allegations about the group's handling of federal funds and legal compliance merit a careful review. In his view, the inspector general should let the facts lead, decide whether rules were broken, and ensure that anyone who misspent public money answers for it.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →