[caption id=”attachment_87802″ align=”aligncenter” width=”4843″]AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
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Once more, the Senate has failed to defund Planned Parenthood. The vote after Pope Francis had addressed a joint session of Congress earlier that day.
In addition to defunding the abortion provider, the Senate proposal would have funded the government until Dec. 11.
Had the spending bill passed though, President Obama would have vetoed it. He has vowed not to sign any bill which does not fund Planned Parenthood.
In addition to promising a veto, a statement from the Office of Management and Budget slammed the proposal:
The Administration strongly opposes Senate passage of the Senate amendment to H.J.Res. 61, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2016, and for other purposes, which contains highly objectionable provisions that advance a narrow ideological agenda. Specifically, the Amendment includes a provision that would defund Planned Parenthood. By eliminating Federal funding for a major provider of health care, the Senate Amendment to H.J.Res. 61 would limit access to health care for women, men, and families across the Nation, and disproportionately impact low-income individuals.
Only one Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), broke ranks to vote to defund Planned Parenthood. And with a vote of 47-52, this means some Republicans voted against moving forward. This includes Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Susan Collins (Maine), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Ben Sasse (Neb.).
Perhaps the most notable mention is Paul, who sponsored a previous bill in the Senate which would have defunded Planned Parenthood and sent the funds to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Paul released a statement explaining his vote, as the bill comes down to “too much spending and too much debt.” He also “urged Senate leadership to strip Planned Parenthood funding language from the continuing resolution, and hold a separate vote.”
With the proposal not moving forward, Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed a new spending bill to fund both the government and Planned Parenthood.
