More than 120 Republican members of Congress have asked the inspector general at the US Department of Health and Human Services to examine Planned Parenthood's federal funding, with one of the letter's lead authors citing fetal tissue allegations.

The letter concerns federal funding received by Planned Parenthood and its affiliates. Planned Parenthood did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

What the Letter Asks the Inspector General To Do

The letter, dated 1 October 2026, was led by Senator James Lankford and Representative Chris Smith and addressed to HHS Inspector General T. March Bell. Its text does not mention fetal tissue, which Smith raised separately when describing his concerns.

The effort began with 128 signatures and had reached 132 by 7 October, comprising 30 senators and 102 House members. It asks the inspector general to review funding channelled through HHS programmes, grants, contracts and subawards, assess compliance with federal funding requirements, and investigate potential fraud, waste, abuse or other violations.

Should misconduct be found, the signatories want officials to consider suspension, exclusion from federal healthcare programmes, or referral to other authorities.

The letter points to a Small Business Administration review of pandemic-era loans and to reports that Planned Parenthood fails to comply with mandatory state child-abuse reporting laws.

Fox News noted those reporting allegations have not been established as findings by the inspector general's office. Lankford said 'Those allegations deserve a thorough review', while the watchdog said it would examine the letter 'for appropriate action once received'.

Planned Parenthood Funding and the Fetal Tissue Dispute

Smith said the scrutiny was long overdue, citing allegations involving federal funding, reporting requirements, sexual exploitation and fetal tissue. The issue dates largely to 2015, when undercover videos from the Center for Medical Progress alleged that Planned Parenthood affiliates sold fetal tissue illegally.

Federal law prohibits the acquisition or transfer of human fetal tissue for valuable consideration, while permitting reasonable payments to cover associated costs. Planned Parenthood has denied illegally selling fetal tissue, saying its payments covered the costs of donation.

In January 2016, a Harris County grand jury declined to indict Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast over the allegations and instead indicted two anti-abortion activists involved in producing the undercover videos: David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt. The remaining criminal charges against the activists were dismissed in July 2016.

Separately, public records obtained by Daleiden and reported on 30 September concern a different company, Cercle Allocation Services, which billed a UCLA research operation a procurement fee for liver and thymus specimens. The records do not establish that the payments were illegal, and neither UCLA nor Cercle has been accused or charged by authorities.

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The Wider Federal Scrutiny of Planned Parenthood

On 22 January 2026, the US Small Business Administration sent letters to 38 Planned Parenthood affiliates requiring them to provide documentation proving their eligibility for more than $88 million (£65.8 million) in pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program loans.

The lawmakers cited the SBA review as part of their case for broader scrutiny of Planned Parenthood's federal funding. However, the letter does not specifically address fetal tissue, despite Smith raising the issue separately. The HHS inspector general's office said it would review the letter for appropriate action once received.

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