Several Democratic senators running for re-election this fall in states that President Trump won in 2016 voted Thursday against defunding Planned Parenthood.
An amendment to defund the women’s health and abortion provider, offered by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., failed 45 to 48, far below the 60 votes needed to add it to a spending bill. All Democrats opposed the amendment, including several embattled Democratic incumbents.
Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Bill Nelson of Florida, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Jon Tester of Montana all voted against the amendment.
Each is running for re-election in states that Trump won in 2016.
Some of the senators, such as McCaskill and Nelson, have been steadfast supporters of abortion rights, while others have voted for abortion restriction bills before. Donnelly, Casey, and Manchin all voted in January to support a bill that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks.
[Also read: Rand Paul’s Planned Parenthood defunding bid fails]
