Even after the release of a tenth video further exposing Planned Parenthood’s booming business in the sale of aborted baby parts, House Republican leaders who claim to be horrified at the abortion giant’s practices are still hesitant to eliminate its federal funding from a temporary spending bill for fear of being blamed by Democrats and the liberal media for a government shutdown.
House Speaker John Boehner’s tenure appears in jeopardy as conservative Republicans are demanding Planned Parenthood be cut off from federal funds. According to Politico, however, Boehner says he is not worried about his position. His spokeswoman, Emily Schillinger, says: “The speaker is focused on the American people’s priorities and how we can accomplish them. He’s got wide support amongst our members, and he is not going anywhere.”
Nevertheless, Boehner is facing a tough challenge from conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus, a member of which is expected to offer another motion to “vacate the chair” or call for a vote on whether Boehner should remain as speaker.
“My position has been this month will be telling with what’s going to happen,” said Rep. Raúl Labrador of the House Freedom Caucus. “If we’re going to do business as usual, it is going to be very difficult for me to continue with the same leadership that we have now.”
The tension in the House is palpable, and Planned Parenthood’s fate is at the center of the debate this week.
“There’s a fuse burning, and things are going to blow up soon,” said one Republican lawmaker. “It’s not if it will blow up. The only question is when.”
On Wednesday, Boehner and other Republican House leaders will hold a conference meeting to discuss the Planned Parenthood issue. Several House committees have been conducting hearings as part of an investigation into the gruesome practices of the abortion business as seen in the undercover videos.
Currently, House GOP leadership is inclined toward legislation, offered by Rep. Diane Black, that would freeze all federal funds – including Medicaid, Title X “family planning funds,” and federal grants – from going to Planned Parenthood for one year. The plan, through an amendment, is that those funds would be redirected to women’s healthcare facilities that do not provide abortions. Black’s bill is set to be voted on later this week, although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the current Congress will not defund Planned Parenthood since President Obama is a supporter of the abortion business.
Nevertheless, both 2016 contenders Sen. Rand Paul and Sen. Ted Cruz have said they are committed to fight to defund Planned Parenthood.
“No American should ever be forced to support such an organization with their tax dollars,” says a statement from House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office. “To do so shows that some politicians care more about facilitating the harvesting of baby body parts than they do about the lives of those children and the conscience objections of the citizens they serve.”
McCarthy’s office says the House “will pass two bills this week,” Black’s legislation and The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would impose criminal penalties on medical professionals who fail to try to save a child born alive after an abortion attempt.
Meanwhile, national pro-life leaders are pressing members of Congress to finally “do the right thing” and place moral courage over political expediency by eliminating Planned Parenthood’s federal funding.
“Today’s video reinforces the evidence that, directly contrary to its own assertions, Planned Parenthood sells the body parts of the babies it kills,” national director of Priests for Life Father Frank Pavone tells Breitbart News in a statement.
“As Congress takes up these matters again this week, I hope that the American people notice that what is on display is not only Planned Parenthood’s lack of conscience, but also the Democratic Party’s lack of conscience,” he added. “The Democrats seem to be incapable of expressing the slightest concern about what Planned Parenthood is doing. Their only outrage is directed to their political opponents, and to the pro-life movement.”
“It is up to Congress and the states to stop the flow of taxpayer money to an organization involved in this highly unethical and illegal activity,” Pavone asserted.
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, the nation’s largest organization of pro-life youth, remarked on the words spoken by Planned Parenthood executives in the latest video produced by Center for Medical Progress.
“Planned Parenthood knew that if it ever got out that they were taking money for the body parts of babies they were aborting, that it would be a ‘PR disaster,’” Hawkins said, highlighting one of the abortion business’ executives’ concerns regarding information getting out about their human organ trafficking practices.
“Every single Congressman and Senator needs to watch these videos,” she continued. “This includes Speaker Boehner and Leader McConnell. The time for rhetoric is over; now is the time for leadership and action. We expect our leaders to not fund Planned Parenthood in the upcoming budget battle. Period.”
Similarly, Lila Rose, president of Live Action, observed that the latest video “shows at what length Planned Parenthood executives will go to cover up the illegal harvesting of and profiting from baby parts.”
“Congress should immediately stop funneling over half a billion taxpayer dollars into Planned Parenthood and instead redirect the money to the over 13,000 community health centers that provide comprehensive healthcare to women,” she continued. “American taxpayers must not be forced to fund Planned Parenthood’s abortion empire and its many abuses, including the illegal profiting from the sale of baby body parts and the horrific practice of allowing infants that are born alive to die so their organs can be harvested.”