A small business provision drafted for the coronavirus relief package, which has stalled in Congress, would exclude Planned Parenthood from being eligible for emergency aid.
A Democratic aide told the Hill the provision was designed to exclude nonprofit organizations from being eligible for Small Business Administration assistance if they receive Medicaid. This provision would affect, according to the aide, rape crisis centers, disability service providers, and Planned Parenthood, a healthcare nonprofit organization that is also the nation’s largest abortion provider.
A Republican aide familiar with the bill, however, told the Washington Examiner it is the first they have heard of Planned Parenthood being raised as an issue.
The Republican aide said the small business section of the economic aid package was designed “to get money to small businesses so they could retain employees, but only to entities that were not covered by other parts of the bill.”
The aide said other sections of the bill provide funding for the healthcare sector.
“There is significant public health funding, hospital funding, funding for Medicaid in the bill,” the Republican aide said. “What we were trying to do with the small biz section is to get money to small businesses so they could retain their employees but to entities that were not being touched by other parts of the bill.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard planned Parenthood being raised in all of this, which is absurd,” the GOP aide said.
Senate Democrats on Sunday blocked a version of the economic relief package worth more than $2 trillion, stalling plans to pass the bill by Monday and send it to the House. Democrats are holding out for big changes to the bill, which they argue creates a “slush fund” for big industries and lacks sufficient protections for workers.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer scheduled a meeting with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin Monday morning to discuss how to move forward.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to request for comment.
