Senate to Vote on Legislation to Defund Planned Parenthood
A group of Senate Republicans are pushing to defund Planned Parenthood following the release of undercover sting videos that allegedly show people from the women's health group selling fetal tissue.
On Tuesday, a group of GOP senators introduced legislation to strip the pro-abortion group of its federal funding. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell then fast-tracked the bill Tuesday night, which could move the bill to the floor for a vote as early as Monday.
"On the issue of these horrendous videos that we've seen with the discussions from Planned Parenthood people, we have a working group ... and it is our plan to have a vote on preceding to a measure that they support sometime before we break for the August recess," McConnell said on Tuesday before fast-tracking the bill, according to The Huffington Post.
Although this is not the first time that Republicans have tried to defund the organization, this time they argue the sting videos show Planned Parenthood doctors discussing the illegal sale of fetal body parts after abortions.
"As a mother and grandmother, I find this footage of Planned Parenthood's role in the harvesting of the organs of unborn babies morally reprehensible and vile," said Sen. Joni Ernst, one of the bill's sponsors, reports Politico. "The American people are horrified by these videos as well. Simply put, this legislation ensures that funding for women's health is protected and that taxpayer dollars will not go to Planned Parenthood."
The Senate bill seeks to strip the roughly $540 million in funding that Planned Parenthood is scheduled to receive and steer it toward other women's health programs.
"Funds no longer available to Planned Parenthood will continue to be offered to other eligible entities to provide such women's health care services," said a statement from Senate Republicans on the new legislation.
"This legislation would ensure taxpayer dollars for women's health are actually spent on women's health -- not a scandal-plagued political lobbying giant," McConnell saidd.
However, Planned Parenthood argues the videos show their representatives engaging in a legal practice of collecting fetal tissue to be donated for medical research with a patient's consent. The group also says the reps in the videos were talking about being reimbursed for the costs incurred for donating the fetal tissue.
Democrats, on the other hand, slammed GOP senators for attacking the women's group, while Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid accused Republicans of catering to a "right-wing, crazy deal."
"I think we have to understand that it is an attack on women's health," Reid said Tuesday.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!