Three women in new Congress tackled federal funding of abortions

FPI / December 30, 2019

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January 11, 2019

Reps. Virginia Foxx and Vicky Hartzler and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, all Republicans, have introduced bills aimed at eliminating U.S. taxpayer funding of abortion.

Foxx introduced H.R. 296, the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, which would codify President Donald Trump's Protect Life Rule that excludes abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, from receiving Title X funding.

The North Carolina Republican tweeted: “The law is clear: abortion is not family planning. Thx to @POTUS' Protect Life Rule, @HHSGov awards Title X grants to real family planning entities, not abortion providers. The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act will keep it this way.”

Foxx said in a statement: “When the Title X Family Planning Program was created in 1970, Congress made it clear that abortion was not an acceptable form of family planning, stating, 'None of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.' Since then, the original intent of the law has been undermined as Title X funds have routinely contributed to employee salaries, facility costs, and medical supplies for abortion providers. The Protect Life Rule was an important step to end this exploitation of the law, and the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act will make sure taxpayer dollars don’t subsidize abortion providers under any future administrations.”

Hartzler, chair of the House Values Action Team (VAT), introduced H.R. 369, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2019, which would place a one-year moratorium on federal funding to Planned Parenthood and increase funding to community healthcare centers that do not perform abortions but provide more comprehensive care.

The Missouri Republican said: “There are over 13,500 Federally Qualified Health Centers nationwide and only 650 Planned Parenthood clinics. That is 20 federal health centers for every one Planned Parenthood facility. Taxpayers should not have to pay for Planned Parenthood’s abortion industry.”

Hartzler added: “Abortion is not healthcare, yet it is the foundation of Planned Parenthood’s mission. In its latest annual report, Planned Parenthood boasts performing more than 321,000 abortions while receiving over half a billion dollars a year from the taxpayer. These staggering numbers represent the lives of children who no longer are with us, and Americans are forced to support it.”

Planned Parenthood President Dr. Leana Wen tweeted on Jan. 8: “First, our core mission is providing, protecting and expanding access to abortion and reproductive health care. We will never back down from that fight - it’s a fundamental human right and women’s lives are at stake.”

Analysts say House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an avid champion of abortion rights, is unlikely to allow a floor vote on the pro-life measures.

The Daily Caller noted that one of the first bills passed by the House when Democrats assumed control last week was aimed at ending the partial government shutdown that also included an effort to expand abortion as well by repealing a provision instituted by Trump that bans federally-funded non-governmental organizations – such as International Planned Parenthood – from performing or promoting abortions overseas. The Senate did not take up the bill.

In the Senate, Blackburn on Jan. 10 introduced the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act — S. 105, which would eliminate all federal funding for abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood.

The Tennessee Republicans said that “Tennesseans and the American people do not want their tax dollars funding abortions. They have made this position clear time and again. Hardworking taxpayers do not want to subsidize the business of abortion providers and entities such as Planned Parenthood.”

Free Press International