Back in February, the House of Representatives passed a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act aimed at overturning an Obama administration rule that states must provide Title X health care funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortionists.
Even several Democrats voted in favor of the resolution.
But the Senate version of that resolution continues to languish, and as long as it does, the rule remains in effect. Several states have continued their efforts to fully “defund” Planned Parenthood, electing to accept the punishment the Obama rule inflicts—loss of Title X funding for their Medicaid programs—but Republicans campaigned on a promise to end the “backdoor funding” of the abortion giant.
Family Research Council Vice President for Government Affairs David Christensen has sounded a call-to-arms for evangelicals to encourage their senators to get on the ball and pass the resolution. In an “Action Alert” email to supporters, he wrote:
In December 2016, former President Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a regulation blocking states from defunding Planned Parenthood from federal Title X family planning funding, effectively creating a backdoor handout for the abortion industry and threatening states with a loss of federal funds.
Last month, with a strong vote of 230-188, the House passed Rep. Diane Black (R-TN)’s joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act, H.J. Res. 43, to overrule Obama’s harmful rule on Title X. Now the Senate must follow the House’s example and pass this resolution, which only needs 51 votes. Then, President Donald Trump can sign the resolution into law, to overturn the regulation and protect the right of states to defund Planned Parenthood.
States should be free to allocate funds in a way that clearly keeps family planning and abortion separate, by not funding organizations that participate in abortion. Many states have already redirected funds away from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood and have instead offered those funds to public health providers and community health centers which offer a full range of health care services, but not abortion. These states realize that when Planned Parenthood or other abortion clinics receive Title X grant funding, it frees up resources for them to spend more on abortion, their main source of non-governmental service income.
Your Senators need to hear from you to pass the CRA resolution of disapproval to overturn this harmful rule! Please call them at 202 224-3121 and urge them to vote for Rep. Diane Black (R-TN)’s H.J. Res. 43, which is identical to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA)’s S.J. Res 13. After you’ve called, you can also email them by following this link. Thank you for your efforts to end the forced partnership between the taxpayers and Planned Parenthood. {eoa}
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