Walker: Blame Obama for shutdown if Planned Parenthood not defunded

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) says it would be worth it to shut down the federal government in order to try to defund Planned Parenthood.

{mosads}“Absolutely, Planned Parenthood should be defunded,” Walker said at Heritage Action’s Take Back America presidential forum in South Carolina on Friday.

The governor said blame for a government shutdown would be shouldered by President Obama, who would presumably veto a spending bill that tries to defund the health organization that also provides abortions.

“We’re not talking about shutdowns, we’re about sending a bill to the president that reasonably, responsibly defunds Planned Parenthood and puts that money into women’s health in other areas that are non-controversial,” Walker said. “The president is the one that’s willing to stop and shut down the government — we’re not.”

Conservatives in Congress have threatened to include a measure to defund Planned Parenthood in the next budget.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who are also running for the GOP presidential nomination, are calling for a shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding as well.

Other candidates, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, have expressed disapproval over the plan, saying it would backfire and hurt the party’s chances at the White House in 2016.

An anti-abortion group-rights released a series of secretly filmed videos alleging Planned Parenthood traffics fetal body parts from abortions for profit, prompting calls for the organization, which receives $500 million annually in federal funding, to be defunded. The federal government is barred from funding abortions, under the Hyde Amendment.

Several states have already stripped their Planned Parenthood chapters of local funding.

The debate over the looming shutdown represents a growing divide in the Republican Party, between the establishment that favors a methodical approach to conservative causes and a base that is impatient for results.

Walker also said he would get rid of the Iran nuclear accord on Day 1 of his presidency and called for a renewed commitment to federalism in his Heritage Action speech.

After a lackluster performance at the second GOP primary debate on Wednesday, Walker reportedly spoke with donors who are worried about the longevity of his presidential campaign.

Walker has recently been hemorrhaging support in the Iowa caucus, where he led for most of the summer.