Schumer: GOP ‘wasting valuable time’ on Planned Parenthood bill

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted Republicans on Wednesday for “wasting valuable time” on a bill to defund Planned Parenthood instead of moving on a stalled cybersecurity bill.

Floor time for the upper chamber is increasingly precious as it barrels toward a month-long August recess.

{mosads}The Senate had originally vowed to turn to a cybersecurity bill – intended to boost the public-private sharing of data on hackers — after wrapping up a highway funding measure this week.

But a Planned Parenthood fight has broken out over the last few weeks after a series of heavily edited undercover videos were released showing organization officials discussing the costs and methods of preserving fetal tissue for donation.

As a result, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said is speeding up a bill that would strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding.

“Instead of starting urgent budget negotiations, or passing a much-needed cybersecurity bill, Republican leaders are kowtowing to the hard right and attempting to restrict women’s access to health care,” Schumer said Wednesday.

Schumer is part of a broad bipartisan coalition that has expressed support for the cyber bill, known as the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA).

The bill has been tied up amid the ongoing debate over digital privacy.

While the measure does enjoy strong industry, congressional and potentially even White House support, a civil liberties-minded wing of the Senate has warned the bill would only strengthen the government’s surveillance capabilities.

They argue the measure would shuttle more sensitive data on Americans to the National Security Agency (NSA). CISA backers counter that the bill mandates personally identifiable information be stripped before data is shared with the NSA.  

Despite the privacy concerns, many believe if CISA came to the floor, it could pass with amendments.

Schumer said Republicans should focus on moving these bipartisan measures instead of doggedly pursuing a partisan agenda.

“The hard-right tail is wagging the Republican dog, wasting valuable time and putting health care for millions of women at risk,” Schumer said. “Rather than playing to their base, Republicans should work with Democrats on urgent bills that will actually help the middle class.”