The House Approves Defunding Planned Parenthood For One Year

The House of Representatives just voted to defund Planned Parenthood for one year, critically damaging the welfare of millions of American people.

On September 18, a divided house voted to block aid to the organization in an attempt to thwart a GOP face-off with President Obama, which may have resulted in a federal government shutdown.

According to the Associated Press, the legislation was cleared by a nearly party-line 241-187 vote. Fortunately, it does not stand much chance of being enacted, as the White House has promised to veto the bill and Senate Democrats have secured enough votes to block it.

This decision has come about mainly from Republican leaders who were outraged over videos showing Planned Parenthood officials speaking casually about providing researchers with tissue from aborted fetuses.

The clips were exactly what hopeful Republican presidential candidates needed in order to secure a firm stance against abortion and get voters to agree as well.

Florida Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz told the Associated Press she believes Republican candidates are playing a dangerous game at the expense of women in this country.

Schultz said,

Some of their members are willing to risk women's lives just to score political points. Enough is enough.

The new bill proposes to shift Planned Parenthood's federal payments to the thousands of government-backed community health centers. Democrats feel the problem with that option is those clinics are flooded with patients and located far away from the women who need them most.

Planned Parenthood receives roughly $450 million a year to fund nearly 700 of its facilities. The majority of the people who utilize the organization are low-income patients who cannot afford proper medical insurance. For them, this bill will be a devastating blow.

The night before cuts were voted on, Obama sent a chilling and poignant message to the Republican party,

Threats by some Republicans to shut down the government and eliminate access to healthcare for men, women and families across the country is a game of chicken with our economy that we cannot accept.

Citations: House OKs GOP bill blocking Planned Parenthood payments (The Seattle Times), House Passes Planned Parenthood Cuts (US News And World)