Republicans Fail To Defund Planned Parenthood

Senate Democratic leaders on Monday blocked a procedural vote that would have cut funding for Planned Parenthood, according to The Huffington Post.

Republican leaders needed 60 votes to move the measure to the Senate floor, but they came up short in a vote of 53-46, The Post writes.

From The Huffington Post:

Every Democrat except Sens. Joe Donnelly (Ind.) and Joe Manchin (W.Va.) voted against proceeding to debate. Sen. Mark Kirk (Ill.) was the only Republican to vote no. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was absent…

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Republicans have “lost their moral compass” in going after an organization that provides health care and family planning services to one in five women in the U.S. “Senate Democrats will fight vigorously this and any other attempt by Republicans to deprive American women of health care,” he said.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), would have prevented Medicaid reimbursements and federal family planning funds from flowing to Planned Parenthood. The provider uses federal funds to subsidize non-abortion-related services, like birth control, cancer screenings and sexually transmitted infection treatments, for low-income patients. Republicans said the bill would protect women’s health by redirecting those funds to community health centers that don’t provide abortions.

The push to defund the largest family planning provider came after a conservative group last month released controversial videos of Planned Parenthood doctors allegedly trying to profit off the sale of fetal parts, which is prohibited under federal law.

Planned Parenthood said the videos were deceptively edited and actually showed the doctors discussing the costs of preserving and transporting tissue for donation, which is legal.

SOURCE: The Huffington Post | VIDEO CREDIT: NDN

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