18 House Republicans Pledge to Shut Down Government if Planned Parenthood Not De-Funded
The Senate will vote early Monday evening on a new bill has been introduced that will totally de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business. The legislation follows four shocking videos that have caught Planned Parenthood doctors discussing and arranging the sale of body parts of aborted babies.
But if that legislation is defeated by Senate Democrats, as is expected, a group of 18 House Republicans say they will hold up any bill to fund the federal government that does not contain language in it to de-fund Planned Parenthood.
“We must act to fully defund Planned Parenthood,” they wrote in a letter obtained by The Hill. “Please know that we cannot and will not support any funding resolution — an appropriations bill, an omnibus package, a continuing resolution, or otherwise — that contains any funding for Planned Parenthood, including mandatory funding streams.”
SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must De-Fund Planned Parenthood Immediately
The letter was addressed to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), who all have expressed concern about several leaked videos that show Planned Parenthood officials caught on hidden cameras discussing aborted fetal tissue.
“It is imperative that Congress do everything within its power to investigate these reports and take immediate action to stop them,” the Republicans wrote, adding that they want leadership to hold a conference meeting as soon as possible to discuss the GOP’s plan.
The letter was signed by Reps. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), John Fleming (R-La.), Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho), Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Curt Clawson (R-Fla.), Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), Keith Rothfus (R-Pa.), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Scott Perry (R-N.J.), Steven Pearce (R-N.M.), Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) and Louie Gohmert (R-Texas).
With 18 Republicans already ruling out support for a funding bill in September if it contains Planned Parenthood funding, it could create a problem for leaders as they seek to avoid a government shutdown in October.
Congress must fund the government by Oct. 1, and GOP leaders are pointing to a continuing resolution (CR) that would extend current funding.
Democrats are expected to filibuster the bill – forcing Senate Republicans to come up with 60 votes to invoke cloture and end debate on the pro-life measure. Because two Republicans have said they support Planned Parenthood funding and Democrats like Senator Bob Casey, who claims to be pro-life, are not willing to support the bill to de-fund Planned Parenthood, Democrats are expected to sustain their filibuster and prevent passage of the de-funding measure.
The House does not come back from its August recess until September, so if Senate Democrats defeat the Planned parenthood defunding bill, that will spark a month-long debate about what to do from there to try to revoke Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding in light of the shocking videos showing it potentially breaking the law to sell aborted babies.
As LifeNews reported, the first video of undercover footage shows Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Senior Director of Medical Services, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, describing how Planned Parenthood sells the body parts of aborted unborn children and admitting she uses partial-birth abortions to supply intact body parts.
In the second video, Planned Parenthood doctor Maru Gatter discusses the pricing of aborted baby body parts — telling the biotech company officials that the prices for such things as a baby’s liver, head or heart are negotiable. She also tells the officials that she could talk with the Planned Parenthood abortion practitioners to potentially alter the abortion procedure to kill the baby in a way that would best preserve those body parts after the unborn child is killed in the abortion.
A total of 12 states have already launched an investigation including South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, Texas and Louisiana and members of Congress have launched an investigation as well.
