US Senate blocks Republican legislation defunding planned parenthood

A federal judge in San Francisco extended a restraining order on Monday that blocks an anti-abortion group from releasing any recordings that it secretly gathered at annual meetings of an abortion providers’ association. The videos have been especially controversial because of the casual descriptions by the Planned Parenthood officials of the abortion procedures they use to obtain tissue, and because they show close-ups of fetal organs in laboratories. Last year in Louisiana, Planned Parenthood provided more than 15,000 health care visits. The organization says it recovers only its costs, which is legal.

Currently, Planned Parenthood receives $528 million annually in government funds. Republicans counter that their bill would move the funding to other women’s health services, but many feel that Planned Parenthood has set up shop in areas that are critically underserved when it comes to accessible health care, and would leave a large hole in coverage for thousands of women.

“We thank the bipartisan majority of senators for voting to protect women’s health and end taxpayer money to a scandal plagued organization that is under investigation for criminal wrong doing”.

GOP Sen. Rand Paul, who pressed Senate leaders for the vote on Planned Parenthood this week, was reluctant to draw a line in the sand.

On Monday, Jindal said the department gave Planned Parenthood a 30-day notice it intended to terminate the Medicaid provider contract between the two agencies.

The Senate is expected to vote on Monday on a motion to defund Planned Parenthood.

In response, Planned Parenthood has maintained that the videos were taken out of context and alleges that they were edited.

The first-term Iowa senator has said that cutting off funding would not hurt women’s health care as the money would be redirected to community health centers and other organizations providing those services.

“The truth is the Republicans and their extreme allies have been out to get Planned Parenthood for decades”, Boxer said. “The Center for Medical Progress has released less than half of its damning evidence of brutality and callousness at Planned Parenthood and, as more videos are made public, outrage will surely grow”, said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser.

“The more Americans learn about Planned Parenthood’s horrific practices, the easier it will be for Congress to defund them”, said Emily Schillinger, spokeswoman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Joe Manchin and Indiana Sen. “But I will tell you that behind closed doors these conversations are happening with the affiliates”. I have also called for the revocation of Planned Parenthood’s federal non-profit status. Joni Ernst (R-IA) that would have prohibited federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood, making those funds “available” to other entities favored by anti-choice lawmakers that provide women’s health services.