House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., announced Friday that members next week will consider “two measures that respond to the horrific videos released throughout the summer on Planned Parenthood practices.”
“The first one … places a one-year moratorium on funding to Planned Parenthood, while Congress investigates these videos,” McCarthy said on the House floor. “The second will be a bill … which adds criminal penalties to people who violate the Born Alive Act, for medical providers who fail to provide medical care to the baby who survives the abortion procedure.”
“The American people are rightfully outraged by what was depicted in these videos,” McCarthy added.
House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer, D.Md., said he was also disturbed by the videos, but added “as I understand it, these videos were heavily edited … We are certainly concerned that 97 percent of the healthcare provided by Planned Parenthood has nothing to do with the issues raised in the videos, edited or not.”
Hoyer then added that he was concerned that McCarthy did not announce a plan to fund the government, heightening intrigue that the two matters could become linked later this month. Several conservatives have said they would not vote for any government funding bill that also funds Planned Parenthood, and the GOP plan to hold separate votes next week on Planned Parenthood appears to be an attempt to separate the two matters.
“We have five full legislative days left before the government runs out of authority or funds to continue,” Hoyer said, adding that there are still some partial days of voting in addition to that.
“The fiscal year ends on September 30,” McCarthy noted.
