Anti-abortion groups are calling on congressional Republicans to quickly pass a bill that defunds Planned Parenthood that can bypass a filibuster in the Senate.
The 10 groups wrote to Congressional Republicans on Tuesday calling for them to use a procedure called reconciliation that lets a bill get passed in the Senate by only 51 votes instead of 60 needed to break a filibuster.
“The pro-life majority that now controls both chambers of Congress and the White House must pass a reconciliation bill stopping the vast majority of federal funding for Planned Parenthood,” the letter said, italics theirs. “Doing anything less brings into question whether this Congress can truly be called the Pro-life Congress.”
There are certain rules to follow when using reconciliation. Chief among them is passing a budget resolution that outlines the instructions on how to use reconciliation.
Congress passed a budget resolution back in January that set up reconciliation instructions that would allow them to pass both tax reform and Obamacare repeal under reconciliation.
Obamacare repeal was originally intended to defund Planned Parenthood, but repeal is at a standstill after a failed Senate vote in July.
Now Congress has until the end of the month before the original budget resolution expires. Congress can pass another budget resolution outlining a new set of reconciliation instructions.
The groups are calling on Congress to pass a reconciliation bill that stops federal Medicaid funding to the women’s health and abortion provider.
“Should robust efforts on the [fiscal year] 2017 reconciliation bill run out of time, then the fight to defund Planned Parenthood must move immediately to the [fiscal year] 2018 reconciliation bill,” the letter said.
The leaders of Susan B. Anthony List, Concerned Women for America, Students for Life, March for Life Education and Defense Fund, Live Action, Family Research Council, Americans United for Life, Family Policy Alliance, American Values and Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission signed the letter.
