Sen. Rand Paul’s bid to defund Planned Parenthood failed in the Senate Thursday.
By a vote of 45 to 48, his amendment was rejected. It would have would barred Planned Parenthood and other abortion outlets from receiving federal funding.
Paul complained that the amendment was being blocked from consideration, but leaders made sure it got a vote as the chamber considered the funding bill for the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
It did not even win a majority and would have required a filibuster proof 60 votes, though a source said that Paul could have taken a legislative path to just needing 51 votes and didn’t.
Pro-life proponents believe it would have been a good issue to champion in the fall elections, but other reports suggest that it would have added a major controversy to the appropriations bill and jeopardize final passage. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — both Republicans — voted against it.
After the vote, the National Republican Senatorial Committee used the vote to hit Democrats in tight races, even showing West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin in pictures with pro- and anti-Planned Parenthood themes.
In a statement, the Kentucky Republican slammed the spending bill as bloated and took a swipe at his party.
“While I am disappointed in the outcome of this vote, I will never apologize for standing up for life. If it took exposing the preference of so many in my own party to continue reckless spending over protecting the innocent, it was a fight worth having,” said Paul.
