Pro-lifers Disappointed New Spending Bill Doesn’t Defund Planned Parenthood

Congress is reportedly pushing forward a spending bill that would allow Medicaid dollars to continue to be given to Planned Parenthood.

The bill is part of negotiation to avoid a potential government shutdown. The $1 trillion spending deal would keep the federal government operating through the end of September.

According to reports, Democrats in Congress have conceded $12.5 billion in additional military spending and $1.5 billion in additional funding for border security. Also part of the potential deal, however, was a request to prohibit funds from going to Planned Parenthood. That GOP request, however, has reportedly not been granted.

The spending deal is not final. Both the House and the Senate are expected to vote on it this week.

"With pro-life Republican majorities in both houses, it is incredibly disappointing that any Republican spending bill would contain continued funding for Planned Parenthood," Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the Washington-based pro-life lobbying organization Susan B. Anthony List who chaired the Trump campaign's pro-life coalition, said in a statement Monday.

"This makes it imperative that Republicans also move quickly on a reconciliation bill that redirects the abortion giant's funding to community health centers."

Planned Parenthood receives more than $500 million in federal funding each year. Most of that money comes from federal funding through Medicaid reimbursements from its services.

Last week, the pro-life group Live Action released statistics which show that even though Planned Parenthood's federal funding has nearly doubled in the last 10 years, the number of other services, such as pap tests, adoption referrals and family practice services has fallen while its abortion numbers have increased.

Planned Parenthood, however, has yet to release its official annual report for 2015-206.

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/jdfielding

Publication date: May 2, 2017