Top House Conservative Slams Mitch McConnell, Ramps Up Shutdown Fight

UNITED STATES - JULY 15: Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., participates in a discussion with reporters in Rayburn, titled "Conversations with Conservatives," at which he and others fielded questions on illegal immigrants a... UNITED STATES - JULY 15: Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., participates in a discussion with reporters in Rayburn, titled "Conversations with Conservatives," at which he and others fielded questions on illegal immigrants attempting to cross the border and other issues, July 15, 2014. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images) MORE LESS
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A leading conservative lawmaker eager to dethrone House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is ratcheting up the pressure for a shutdown battle over Planned Parenthood that neither Boehner nor Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) want and are trying desperately to avoid.

“I cannot and will not fund a vile, racist organization who specializes in convincing mothers to kill their children and then selling their baby parts to the highest bidder,” Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) said in a written statement to TPM Tuesday. “During the funding debate two years ago, Mitch McConnell finagled a $2.8 billion dam for his home state. And now when it comes to keeping his pro-life campaign promises, I’m pretty certain he still knows how the process works.”

Huelskamp is a signatory to the letter circulated by conservative House lawmakers pledging not to fund Planned Parenthood, even if that means a government shutdown at the end of this month. Huelskamp and other anti-abortion lawmakers are standing by that promise, despite efforts by House and Senate leadership to channel their outrage with Planned Parenthood towards other anti-abortion bills.

Huelskamp is a leader of the conservative wing of the House GOP conference that is deeply disaffected with Boehner. He has bucked GOP leaders on multiple occasions in the past, and was famously photographed in the House chamber in 2013 brandishing an iPad that displayed a plan to launch a coup against Boehner, who was ultimately re-elected as speaker.

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for caltg caltg says:

    Ignorance thy name is Huelskamp.

  2. Shut up Timmy. Your stupidity is showing.

  3. Come on Boehner; bring a funding bill to the floor that is acceptable to the majority of Republican and Democratic House members, and squash the pretensions of this hateful man. The rejectionist subcaucus within the House GOP are a small minority of your own party and a smaller minority of the entire House. Show them the legislative power of bi-partisan majority rule!

  4. What is this about selling their baby parts to the highest bidder? Is there some obscure practice he’s referencing that I’ve never heard of? Is he talking about the harvesting of stem cells from embryos, and is PP even involved in that?

  5. Avatar for wwss wwss says:

    What a hateful little man.

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