Alabama to pay Planned Parenthood’s legal fees after cutting its funding

In August, Bentley sent a letter to Planned Parenthood Southeast terminating its contracts as an Alabama Medicaid provider. McCarthy is giving no indication that last week’s fatal shootings at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado will affect a House probe of the group for providing fetal tissue to researchers.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said he would stand with Planned Parenthood and prevent GOP efforts to defund it. He also warned Republican leaders against using caustic language that he suggested could lead to violence against abortion clinics.

The multiple congressional investigations into Planned Parenthood were triggered by a series of undercover “sting” videos this summer, which accused the group of harvesting and profiting off aborted fetal organs.

“We look no further than the horrific tragedy that occurred in Colorado Springs last week to understand how such provocative speech can lead to great harm”, she writes.

“Why couldn’t they utter the words, “Planned Parenthood”?” she asked.

“They have found zero evidence of any wrongdoing”, she said, asserting that “a record five committees” are exploring some level of investigation into the nation’s most prolific abortion provider.

“The state had only paid about $4,300 to Planned Parenthood this year but now is paying them an additional $51,000”, said State Auditor Jim Zeiger, a frequent Bentley critic. According to state officials, the cutting of Medicaid coverage to Planned Parenthood was to ensure women have safe facilities at their disposal and the protection of unborn children.

“Obviously the Planned Parenthood folks want to rise up and say we wouldn’t have a shooting if it wasn’t for the mean folks who are talking about defunding Planned Parenthood”. The Montgomery Advertiser reported that Gov. Bentley’s attempt to strip Planned Parenthood Southeast of its Medicaid funding failed after a federal judge ruled against Bentley, leaving residents of Alabama to foot the bill for legal fees after the state settled.

Those who take on abortions say protesters picket their houses, stalk them in the supermarket and post their photographs on the Internet.

I think what weve seen, as a result of all the hyped-up rhetoric youre getting from the Republican side of the presidential race, is an increase in harassment of the clinics, what youre seeing is an increase in arson all those facts are out there, Boxer told reporters on Tuesday. “Since 1977, there have been 11 murders, 17 attempted murders, 42 bombings and 186 arsons against abortion clinics and providers”.

“The story of a bill that passed with 150 Republican votes is much more positive and assertive than the story of a bill that passes with 79 Republican votes”, said GOP Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.

Republicans have deplored the shootings, but defended a House committee investigating the group.

Planned Parenthood gets about one-third of its annual $1.3 billion budget from Washington.

The full Planned Parenthood Select Committee has yet to meet and is now in the process of hiring staff, said Rep. Diane Black, a Republican member appointed to the committee, in an interview.