After initially winning overwhelming approval in the Senate in a 78-20 vote, the House of Representatives also backed the measure, which includes financing the administration’s activities until December 11, by a vote of 277 to 151.
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McConnell and Boehner are among many Republicans who have wanted federal money to Planned Parenthood cut off, but said they did not support a government shutdown.
Instead, Boehner and McConnell opted for the pragmatic route – a bipartisan measure that steers clear of the furor over Planned Parenthood and avoids the risk of a partial government shutdown – over the opposition of the most hardline conservative Republicans.
House Republican Charlie Dent noted it would be “utterly reckless” to trigger a spending crisis over Planned Parenthood.
Conservatives in both chambers want to defund Planned Parenthood, after a series of undercover videos exposed the non-profit’s dealings in aborted fetal tissue.
Earlier in the week, outgoing House Speaker John Boehner vowed that there would be no government shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding and signaled plans to pass the Senate stop-gap funding bill with help from Democrats. “Our Republicans in the House can’t agree with Republicans in the Senate, and it appears Republicans in the Senate can’t agree among themselves”. “We must live up to our commitment to the American people and avoid costly mistakes of the past to keep the economy moving forward”.
A similar fight over implementing Obama’s health care law sparked a 16-day shutdown two years ago that Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other top Republicans did not want to repeat in election season. That measure was approved, 214-185 mostly along party lines, but does not have enough support to pass the Senate.
“That’s why I am introducing a “correction” bill to re-insert language immediately halting all taxpayer funding from going to Planned Parenthood for the next year as investigations proceed. There are federal and public funds and there are donations”, Richards started to say, but Blum jumped in,”I’m talking about individual abortions if someone can’t afford to pay for it. What’s an abortion cost?”
With the threat of shutdown averted, Republican leaders in Congress are turning toward talks with Obama over a long-term budget agreement for the remainder of fiscal year 2016, and potentially beyond.
Republicans are seeking an increase in defense spending, while Obama will press for similar hikes for domestic programs.
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Another House Oversight Committee member from Michigan, U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, defended the right of male lawmakers to tackle the issue during the Tuesday hearing. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Marco Rubio – who are running for president – notably missed the vote.
