Republican-Led U.S. House of Representatives Approves Ban On Federal Aid To Planned Parenthood

Jason Attermann — February 18, 2011 – 3:36 pm | Congress | Reproductive Rights | Republicans | Women's Issues Comments (0) Add a comment

On Friday afternoon, in a blow to women’s rights and an issue of great concern to American Jews, the United States House of Representatives approved a Republican-led proposal to cease federal aid of Planned Parenthood. The Washington Post reported:

The 240-185 vote on Friday is a victory for anti-abortion forces led by Indiana GOP Rep. Mike Pence. He says taxpayer money should not go to groups that provide or promote abortion.

Democrats say Planned Parenthood provides contraception and other valuable family planning services, and that cutting off the money will make it hard for women to get such basic help.

Planned Parenthood provides services in hundreds of clinics around the country. Pence aides say the group reported receiving $363 million in federal money in its latest report.

The proposal is part of a bill that seeks to cut government spending this year.

The Democratic-run Senate has stronger abortion rights views than does the House, making it unlikely the House proposal will survive.

As Fox News reported:

Indiana Rep. Mike Pence’s proposal targeting Planned Parenthood would eliminate the more than $75 million a year the group receives from the federal government to provide family planning and sex education mostly to poor women.

Even though the Hyde Amendment bans the use of taxpayer money for abortions, the debate on the Planned Parenthood amendment devolved into a testy, at times emotional exchange about abortion Thursday night, chewing up nearly three hours on the House floor.

 

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