Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) said on Wednesday that even though the Senate passed a temporary funding bill that includes funds for Planned Parenthood, lawmakers should still work to defund the organization. He said that the government should instead help clinics that provide “legitimate care.”
“I think it’s worth continuing to fight to defund. Taxpayer dollars should not be going to Planned Parenthood,” he told Fox host Neil Cavuto. “I think our legislation makes a lot of sense. It says, not only do you not send taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood, but those tax dollars instead go to community health centers — there are a lot more of them than Planned Parenthood clinics; eight times more in the state of Ohio for instance — and they can provide the women’s health needs that are legitimate, that are needed.”
In a Monday statement, Portman expressed support for the spending measure to keep the federal government operating.
“Americans should not have the threat of a government shutdown hanging over their heads, and that is why I will vote today to avert a shutdown and continue funding the government programs that so many Ohioans rely on,” he said. “I will also continue to fight to stop taxpayer money from going to Planned Parenthood. Senate Democrats continue to protect Planned Parenthood, even after the release of deeply disturbing videos exposing their practice of selling the fetal tissue of babies who are aborted.”
Watch a clip of Portman’s comments below:
