Paul to headline ‘defund Planned Parenthood’ rally at Capitol

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) will headline a Thursday rally outside the Capitol to call for Planned Parenthood funding to be excluded from the government spending bill, according to anti-abortion groups. 

Paul will appear alongside a range of anti-abortion groups, including Students for Life, March for Life and Heritage Action. 

The event highlights the bind Republican leaders are facing as they seek to avert a government shutdown while also navigating anger from conservatives — including presidential candidates in Congress, such as Paul — over Planned Parenthood in the wake of controversial undercover videos. 

{mosads}Another presidential candidate in the Senate, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), has been circulating a letter for signatures that he will send to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) vowing to oppose any spending bill that includes Planned Parenthood money. 

The firm stands against Planned Parenthood funding have raised the prospect of a government shutdown on Oct. 1 if a government spending bill does not pass.

McConnell has sought to avoid that path, vowing that there will be no shutdown and saying conservatives hoping Planned Parenthood is defunded will have to wait for a new president in 2017. 

But the majority leader faces continued pressure from conservatives seeking the GOP nomination for president. 

In an interview with CNN last month, Paul sought to shift talk of a shutdown onto Democrats. 

“I don’t think you start out with your objective to shut down government,” Paul said. “I mean, if President Obama wants to shut down government because he doesn’t get funds for Planned Parenthood, that would be President Obama’s determination to shut down government.”

In the House, 28 lawmakers have signed a letter vowing not to vote for a funding bill that includes Planned Parenthood spending.