September 21, 2015
There’s another possible government shutdown in the offing. This time it’s over proposals to defund Planned Parenthood and the Continuing Resolution that will keep the government operating. All funding measures must start in the House and the House may* include language that stops funding for Planned Parenthood. The Senate, including the Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Democrats want to continue funding this organization. Now the President is threatening to veto the bill if it passes.
Over the past few months, undercover videos have been released that brought to the public’s attention what happens to babies once they’ve been aborted. The selling of baby parts is a big revenue source for abortion providers and they talk about it openly on the videos.
Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood is fighting the Texas law that requires abortion clinic doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals in case something goes wrong with the procedure.
One might draw the conclusion that they’re not so much interested in women’s health – and certainly not the baby’s health – just their bottom line.
If government is going to fund medical programs, we’d suggest the money would be better spent on cancer research, funding for burn centers like the Shiners’ hospital in Galveston, etc.
Snopes.com has pointed out that Planned Parenthood’s selling of baby parts may not be illegal while quoting George Annas -- a law professor and bioethicist at Boston University -- as saying “What’s going on now is probably legal, but Congress won’t like it.” He continues that the companies [those buying and selling baby parts] “… won’t be real happy that this is all out in the public. This threatens their business. Even if what they’re doing is legal, the law can easily be changed.”
And changing the funding is exactly what the House is attempting to do. Meanwhile the “drive by" media have been working overtime to hide the gruesome details about abortion practices from the American public.
Planned Parenthood receives half a Billion in taxpayer dollars each year and has been on the government payroll for decades. Over 50 million children have been killed through abortions. Taxpayer money shouldn’t go to groups that perform abortions or sell baby body-parts for profit.
Some would argue nobody has the right to deny their neighbor the ability to have an abortion, but even if this were true, we don’t need to fund with taxpayer dollars clinics where abortions take place.
The Republicans gained control of the Senate in 2014. What good has it done for the country and in this case the millions of unborn children, when the GOP leadership is not willing to stop spending our money on these kinds of practices?
Although most of the Senate Republicans support the defunding of Planned Parenthood, this issue and others show that it is time for a change. If the leaders on the Hill aren’t willing to take a stand and provide righteous leadership they should step aside and let those who will, lead. Fund the Government without funding Planned Parenthood.
Bill, Mark and John
* Columns for the Daily News are submitted 4-5 days prior to their actual publication. After the submisssion of this column, the House of Representatives did, indeed, pass a bill that funds the Government but which also defunds Planned Parenthood.
|