House Republicans have put Planned Parenthood on the chopping block
The U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 18 voted 248-177 to suspend federal funding for Planned Parenthood for one year. The vote comes amid controversy about an undercover video allegedly depicting a Planned Parenthood executive negotiating the sale of organs from aborted fetuses.
Although the measure passed the House, Barbara Holt, president of North Carolina Right to Life, said she is not optimistic about the bill taking effect.
“It’s hard to predict what the outcome will be (in the Senate), but we do know that the president has said that he’s gonna veto the attempt — he’d be willing to shut down the government over it," she said.
While the bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate and the promise of a presidential veto, a government shutdown looms — some Republicans have vowed not to support a budget bill necessary for the government to remain functioning unless provisions funding Planned Parenthood are removed.
Jina Dhillon, board chair of NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, said she is critical of these lawmakers.
“It’s shameful and reprehensible. Politicians are playing games with women’s health and people’s lives in the name of so-called values and they should be ashamed of themselves right now. Because you know what kind of values tell you to cut off lifesaving, affordable medical treatment to families and communities that them," she said. "And, you know, what values would call for shutting the government down in order to pursue a political victory?”
Though Holt and Dhillon differ ideologically with regard to abortion policy, the two found common ground concerning a government shutdown.
“It’s not a strategy that does anything to hurt Planned Parenthood, it only hurts those that shut it down,” Holt said.
A government shutdown has negative consequences for employees, who face the prospect of delayed paychecks and furloughs.
However, Dhillon said she maintains defunding Planned Parenthood would hurt everyone, especially those in low income areas.
“Planned Parenthood serves a total of 2.7 million women, men and teens every year, so essentially we’re all affected by this — but because Planned Parenthood is a vital healthcare provider of free and low-cost health services to some of the most underserved communities in the country, it’s those underserved communities that will be disproportionately affected if Planned Parenthood is defunded,” Dhillon said.
It can be difficult to reconcile pro-life and pro-choice views; however, the N.C. General Assembly has shown rare bipartisanship on the issue. In a voice vote to move a House Bill banning the sale of unborn fetuses to a vote, the North Carolina Senate Rules Committee returned no objections.
“There was not one single objection, and this was in a committee with both Republicans and Democrats," Holt said.
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