By Jennifer Popik, J.D. Director of Federal Legislation
Pro-life Senator Rand Paul
This afternoon, the Senate voted on an amendment from Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mike Lee (R-UT) to the 2019 appropriations bill which would have eliminated federal funding for abortion providers. The amendment failed by a vote of 45-48. There were several Senators absent from Washington this week.
The National Right to Life Committee along with other pro-life groups, supported the amendment. All of the Democrats including Joe Manchin (D-WV), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tina Smith (MN), Claire McCaskill, Jon Tester (MT), Heidi Heitkamp (ND), Bill Nelson (FL.), and Amy Klobuchar (MN) voted to continue to fund abortion giants, including Planned Parenthood who perform elective abortion.
Pro-life Senator Mike Lee
The amendment would have denied Fiscal Year 2019 appropriated federal funds to Planned Parenthood and its affiliates. Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion provider, reporting well over 300,000 abortions in 2017. Over one-third of all abortions in the U.S. are performed at Planned Parenthood -affiliated facilities. For additional up-to-date information on the extent of Planned Parenthood’s involvement in abortion, see www.nrlc.org/communications/ppfamediabackground.
Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion chain, annually receives well over $500 million dollars through federal, state, and local government grants and contracts – nearly 40% of their network’s annual income.
To achieve enactment of legislation to block federal funding of Planned Parenthood or achieve other major pro-life gains, we need to see the election of at least several additional reliably pro-life senators.