The House is teeing up a vote on legislation to freeze funding for Planned Parenthood for one year, which would give Congress time to investigate allegations of wrongdoing in the organization’s use of fetal tissue.
The bill, championed by abortion opponent Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.), will be the opening salvo in this month’s government spending fight. Lawmakers have just six legislative days left to fund the government and avert a shutdown on Oct. 1.
{mosads}At least 40 House Republicans have said they refuse to vote for any government spending bill that includes federal dollars for Planned Parenthood, creating a dilemma for GOP leaders.
The vote on the bill freezing funding for Planned Parenthood could take place as early as Wednesday, when Congress returns from a short break for Rosh Hashanah.
On Thursday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold its first hearing on the Planned Parenthood controversy, which has been the subject of an internal committee investigation for several weeks. It is one of three committees investigating the group and the second to hold a hearing.
Democrats on the committee have already released results from their probe, which did not find evidence of wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood.
Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), the chairman of the health subcommittee that is holding the hearing, plans to focus on two bills that would strengthen decade-old legislation to prevent live and partial-birth abortions.
Meanwhile, GOP leaders in the Senate have said they will hold a vote on a bill to ban late-term abortions that has already passed the House, called the Pain-Capable Child Protection Bill.
“Groups who deeply are concerned about the issue realize this [Planned Parenthood strategy] isn’t going to get that done,” McConnell said in an interview Friday with Politico.
“What we are going to do is move to the pain-capable [abortion] bill sometime this month and see how people feel about that,” he said.
Congressional leaders will likely face more pressure to take action against Planned Parenthood after the second GOP presidential debate on Wednesday. Several candidates, led by Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Ky.), have said defunding Planned Parenthood should be a higher priority than even funding the government.
Recent stories:
McConnell: Planned Parenthood-shutdown fight ‘an exercise in futility’
http://digital-staging.thehill.com/policy/finance/253387-mcconnell-rejects-calls-to-defund-planned-parenthood-in-cr
GOP scores early win in ObamaCare lawsuit
http://digital-staging.thehill.com/policy/healthcare/253115-court-allows-boehner-lawsuit-against-obamacare-to-move-forward
Pressure builds on GOP leaders
http://digital-staging.thehill.com/policy/finance/253176-pressure-builds-on-gop-leaders
Paul votes fight against Planned Parenthood funds
http://digital-staging.thehill.com/policy/healthcare/253257-paul-vows-fight-against-planned-parenthood-funds
Witnesses clash on whether Planned Parenthood broke laws
http://digital-staging.thehill.com/policy/healthcare/253063-witnesses-cant-agree-on-whether-planned-parenthood-broke-laws