Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) today changed the tune of a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing by asking Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the issue of abortion.

Smith asked why she had recently praised Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood. He said,

Sanger was an unapologetic eugenicist and racist who said “the most merciful thing a family does for one of its infant members is to kill it.”  And said on another occasion, “eugenics is the most adequate and thorough avenue to the solution of racial, political and social problems.”

Clinton didn’t respond to the Sanger quotes at first, but later in the hearing when questioned again on the matter, she said in all humans (she used Thomas Jefferson’s slave holding as an example) “there are things we admire and there are things we deplore.”

Smith asked whether the administration would be promoting abortion in places like Africa, under the umbrella of “reproductive health.” Clinton responded:

We happen to think family planning is an important part of women’s health – and that reproductive health includes access to abortion….We are now an administration that protects the rights of women including the rights to reproductive health care.

The room exploded into the sole applause of the hearing.

Inglis then questioned Clinton on why she didn’t condemn human rights abuses like forced abortions on her most recent trip to China. “They heard me say it already,” she said, referring to a trip there 14 years ago.

He asked,

Don’t we have to speak with moral authority when we engage countries like China?

She responded,

Yes, we certainly do. It is a broad engagement that we have with large and complex countries. There is always and must be a moral dimension to our foreign policy.

And he said:

When you’re in China next, I hope you’ll speak to these issues.