The White House confirmed that President Obama would veto any budget legislation that included a Planned Parenthood defund measure, setting the stage for a government shutdown fight if Republicans decide to attach such a provision in a government spending proposal set to be debated this fall.
“What we have indicated in the past continues to be true today, that we have routinely opposed the inclusion of ideologically-driven riders in the budget process,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Friday. “And certainly a rider that would on a wholesale basis defund Planned Parenthood, which is the proposal of some Republicans in the House, is certainly something that would draw a presidential veto.”
The Senate is expected to vote Monday on a standalone bill to prohibit federal funding of Planned Parenthood in response to a series of undercover videos released by an anti-abortion group that purport to showing the reproductive health organization is illegally profiting the sale of tissue of aborted fetuses. That bill is unlikely to overcome a Democratic filibuster, let alone a presidential veto. So some conservative lawmakers, particularly a group of 18 Republicans in the House who wrote a letter to leaders this week, are now floating tying the effort to the must-pass budget package they will be considering when they return from their August recess. There is support for the strategy among Senate Republicans as well, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who led the effort to shut down the government in 2013 over Obamacare.
Planned Parenthood has said that the heavily-edited videos are part of an “extremist” anti-abortion campaign and that their affiliates’ participation in programs that donate fetal tissue to researchers meet legal and industry standards. Currently, the federal funding goes to the organization’s non-abortion services such as well-women visits, family planning, and parenting classes.
Thank you Mr President!! (stands at attention and salutes!!)
It’s just another craven attempt by the GOP to deny health care. The GOP likes it when they can get gold plated health care and health insurance but other folks??? Not so much. Then we are the moochers and people who want free stuff.
Of course he would veto it. This President respects women and their right to privacy and make their own decisions
Any logically thinking person would agree… Any person (male I mean) with an ounce of feeling humanity would respect women and their right to privacy when dealing with medical (or anywhere else for that matter) issues But then we have a considerable band of Knuckle Dragging Mouth Breathers populating the hallowed halls of Congress at the moment. And their prime objective is to car camp in women’s uteri.
Has Boehner learned his lesson yet about shutting down the government or is he content to let Ted Cruz slither over from the other body yet again and lead his right-wing nutjobs? Magic 8 Ball says “Outlook not so good.”
Come on GOP, take the bait.