The bill was introduced after The Center for Medical Progress' David Daleiden released undercover videos that allegedly implicate Planned Parenthood officials in arranging the illegal sale of fetal tissue to researchers for profit.

But the bill is facing criticism from both sides of the aisle over its potential chilling effect on free speech.

The California Newspaper Publishers Association is criticizing the measure, saying it "criminalizes news distribution, imposing an unconstitutional restriction on speech." The California Broadcasters and the Motion Picture Association also oppose the bill.

"For years, undercover journalists have documented Planned Parenthood employees covering up for sex traffickers, failing to report child sexual abusers, and trafficking in baby body parts," Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, a pro-life organization, said.

"Rather than be more transparent with the public, Planned Parenthood wants to make it a crime for the media to publish evidence that it might be doing something illegal," she charged.

"A watchdog media is a cornerstone of a democratic society, and when the public funds half of the abortion giant's operations, it has a right to know that its money isn't being used to break the law or commit abuses," Rose continued.

"Planned Parenthood commits nearly one third of all abortions in this country—over 320,000 each year," she noted. "Americans understand that abortion is a grave act that takes a human life, and undercover journalists have been the ones who have exposed the many abuses that often accompany it."

Meanwhile, more than 180 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives want the congressional investigation into Planned Parenthood to be stopped. They signed a letter, calling for its end, according to The Washington Times.

"The question everyone should be asking is why are Democrats so afraid of letting the truth come out," said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Blackburn chairs the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives. She believes the letter from House Democrats shows they're anxious the investigation will reveal Planned Parenthood illegally engaged in trafficking in fetal body parts. (Photo: Rep. Marsha Blackburn/via House.gov)

The Washington Times reports the House Democrats disapproved of Blackburn issuing subpoenas for records from clinics connected with fetal tissue research.

"These recent steps are completely outside the bounds of acceptable congressional behavior," the letter said. "We disgrace ourselves by allowing this misconduct to continue."

Blackburn is also calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate potential violations of federal law by StemExpress and a number of abortion clinics. 

StemExpress is the company exposed in Daleiden's undercover videos for its involvement in Planned Parenthood's fetal tissue sales.

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