Although Republicans hold 52 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, two of them – Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of ME, voted against the proposal, resulting in a 50-50 deadlock.
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Mayor Bill de Blasio said the vote was “shameful”. Republicans “are already gearing up to attach riders to budget bills in order to cut off critical services at Planned Parenthood to millions of patients”, she said on the Senate floor. “Moreover, Congress has the votes to get it done now, and President Trump has promised his signature”. No Democrats voted for the legislation, and all but two Republicans-Sens.
Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., who introduced House Joint Resolution 43 in January, told NBC News that she was pleased with the outcome as she believes states should have the right to choose what to do with family planning funds and not be forced to give them to any particular organization. Instead, it bars states from basing the selection of a recipient organization on anything other than “its ability to provide Title X services”. Specifically, the law would undo a rule that prevents states from restricting which health care providers receive Title X money.
House Republicans recently could not muster enough votes to pass the American Health Care Act, which would have stripped Planned Parenthood of most federal funds.
Editor’s Note: The headline of this piece has been updated since initial publication to accurately reflect that the bill passed allows states to withhold funding from Planned Parenthood. This rhetoric does not match the reality.
“Why was this rule implemented in the first place?”
About a dozen states have attempted to eliminate Planned Parenthood’s funding in the wake of the release of videos that alleged the abortion chain harvests the body parts of babies aborted in its clinics and sells them for profit. “We have one chance to get this done this year. and it has to happen now”.
But let me be clear. Under this exception, Planned Parenthood has been eligible to receive Title X funds, per the states’ discretion. Four million people depend on the Title X family planning program, and this move by DC politicians would endanger their health care.
Participants shout slogans and display placards during a rally to “stand up for women’s health” at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on April 7, 2011. “Rather, it merely empowers states over a Washington knows best mentality”, said Sen. They are things that every woman needs, and to not be able to go to the provider that you feel is your preferred provider is, or if you are in a community where the only provider may be a Planned Parenthood, that’s very concerning because where else do you go?
The rule was enacted in the final weeks of former President Barack Obama’s administration, giving lawmakers the opening to nullify it under the review law.
Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, praised the vote. Congress has swatted back the overreaching hand of the federal government. “Today, congressional oversight functioned as our Founders intended”.
Marjorie Dannefelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List, also applauded the bill’s passage.
Some Republican-led state governments had been moving in recent years to choke off Title X funds from any clinics that offered abortion service.
Among the broadcast networks, ABC and NBC reported first on the Senate vote in their news shows.
Republicans supporting rolling back the Title X regulation cast it as an issue of state’s rights, though not a single GOP senator rose to defend the measure during the official block of debate time on the Senate floor Thursday.
By defunding Planned Parenthood, we would cause many, many more unwanted pregnancies and actually raise the abortion rate.
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However, critics worry women who rely on clinics, such as Planned Parenthood, for basic health services will be hurt.
