Senate blocks GOP bill aiming to cut Fed. funds to Planned Parenthood

A procedural vote on Monday that could have led to Planned Parenthood of America losing its federal funding fell short for Senate Republicans, the Huffington Post reported.

“Women have lived through a world where backward-looking ideologues tried to interfere” with their health decisions, said Sen.

“This video is absolutely shockingly inhumane”, Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., said.

But when asked if she would vote for a government funding bill that was linked to defunding Planned Parenthood, she said she wasn’t at that point yet, and wasn’t “going to discuss that”. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.

“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. Texas managed to fully shut off the flow of Medicaid dollars to Planned Parenthood but also gave up all federal funding for it Women’s Health Program.

The only senators to cross party lines were Democrats Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Illinois Republican Mark Kirk, who faces a tough re-election fight next year.

Democrats are likely to block such bills in the Senate and President Barack Obama is almost certain to veto any reaching him. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a presidential candidate, was in New Hampshire and didn’t vote. Without government support, Planned Parenthood’s resources would have been significantly affected.

“The issue is not about abortion, it’s about fetal tissue and uses of fetal tissue and whether it should be allowed to be used for medical research, but that’s a debate we should have on that issue”, said King.

The center and some of its GOP supporters have said the videos show that Planned Parenthood sells the tissue for profit, which is illegal under federal law. You don’t have to be pro-life to be horrified by undercover videos suggesting Planned Parenthood manipulated the abortion procedure to yield the most marketable baby parts – increasing the risk to women.

The legislation’s main sponsor was freshman Republican Sen. “We need to know that Planned Parenthood is operating legally and complying with state laws regarding the safety of clinics”. Now, some Republican lawmakers want to stop federal funding of Planned Parenthood. Under Ernst’s bill the funds removed from Planned Parenthood would be distributed to other groups that offer women’s health services like community health centers. Christie responded to a video produced by Clinton’s presidential campaign in which the Democratic frontrunner directly criticizes Republicans for “assaulting” the nation’s largest abortion provider.

Democrats argued that Planned Parenthood is a trusted provider of women’s health that sees 2.7 million patients a year, mostly low-income people.

It should be noted that federal funds do not go towards abortions, unless in the case of rape, incest, or if the woman’s life is in danger.