House Passes Bill To Strip Planned Parenthood Of Federal Funds For One Year
The 241-187 vote fell along party lines. Another bill also passed, on a 248-177 vote, that would require medical personnel to aid an infant born alive after an attempted abortion, a provision that Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., will introduce in the Senate. Neither measure is expected to become law in the face of a potential Senate filibuster and presidential veto.
The New York Times:
House Republicans Vote to Stop Funding Planned Parenthood
House Republicans vented their rage against Planned Parenthood on Friday, voting to block all federal financing for the organization, which they accused of profiting from the sale of aborted fetuses for medical research. It was unclear, however, if the vote would mollify conservative lawmakers who have threatened to force a government shutdown over the abortion issue. (Herszenhorn, 9/18)
The Washington Post:
House Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood, But Will That Help Avert A Shutdown?
The House passed two abortion-related bills Friday, including one that would strip federal health-care funding from Planned Parenthood for one year, but it remains unclear whether the votes would appease conservatives who have threatened a government shutdown over the organization. ... But neither bill is likely to become law as Senate Democrats have filibustered similar measures, and President Obama has indicated he would veto both bills. That’s why the move is unlikely to stave off growing fears of a government shutdown on Oct. 1. (DeBonis, 9/18)
Poiltico:
House Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood For One Year
The House on Friday approved legislation to defund Planned Parenthood for one year and to add new medical and reporting requirements on live births resulting from an attempted abortion. The bills were the latest in the House’s response to a series of videos that opponents of Planned Parenthood say show that the organization is making money off the trafficking of human fetal tissue and organs. Planned Parenthood denies such claims and says the videos were highly edited. (Haberkorn, 9/18)
The Cleveland Plain Dealer:
House Of Representatives Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday voted largely along party lines to strip federal money from Planned Parenthood for a year and to require doctors to provide live-saving medical care to infants who emerge alive during abortion attempts. (Eaton, 9/18)
The Associated Press:
House Bills On Abortion Aim To Avert Possible Gov’t Shutdown
Seeking to avert a government shutdown, Republican leaders are hoping to contain conservatives’ demands for a politically risky showdown with President Barack Obama by striking a quick blow against abortion and Planned Parenthood. In a nearly party-line 241-187 vote on Friday, the House passed a bill blocking Planned Parenthood’s federal funds. The vote followed a no-holds-barred debate that included a graphic, poster-size photo of a scarred, aborted fetus and underscored how abortion has resurfaced as a white-hot political issue. (Fram and Taylor, 9/19)
Politico:
GOP Ties Anti-Abortion Push To Papal Visit
Democrats have a lengthy wish list for Pope Francis when he addresses Congress this week. But Republicans are seizing on the Catholic leader’s historic visit to make good on one of their top social priorities: Tough new abortion restrictions. As they rally behind a long-awaited measure that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, GOP lawmakers are tying their messaging to the teachings of the Catholic Church, which opposes the practice. And the presence of Pope Francis on Capitol Hill this week shines an even brighter spotlight on the legislation, which has long been a top priority of advocacy groups that oppose abortion. (Kim and Haberkorn, 9/21)
The Hill:
Senate Gets Companion For 'Born Alive' Protections Bill
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) is planning to introduce a bill Monday that imposes criminal penalties on doctors who mishandle live-birth abortions, one day after the same language was approved by the House. The freshman senator’s legislation will mirror the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which was passed the House on Friday. Under the legislation, any doctor who fails to give “appropriate care” to an infant born during an abortion can be sentenced to five years in prison. (Ferris, 9/18)