President Obama issued a veto threat to legislation that would defund Planned Parenthood.
Obama said Wednesday night that he would veto a House bill that would defund Planned Parenthood. He also would veto another bill that would hold abortion providers criminally liable if they abort a child who is born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion.
The veto threat, released right before the start of the GOP primary debate, is not unexpected but does emphasize where the president stands on a looming fiscal fight in Congress.
A group of conservatives in the House and Senate don’t want to advance any funding bill that would fund Planned Parenthood. The organization receives about $500 million in federal funding each year.
The fight has been spurred by a series of undercover videos that show Planned Parenthood officials discussing the compensation and donation of aborted fetal body parts.
The veto threat, filed as a statement of administrative policy, noted that stripping funds from Planned Parenthood would hurt women because of the health services the clinics provide.
“Longstanding federal policy already prohibits use of federal funds for abortions, except in cases of rape or incest or when the life of the woman who would be endangered,” the statement said.
Regarding the bill on criminal penalties, Obama said it would impose new legal requirements on abortion providers. That would “likely have a chilling effect, reducing access to care,” the president said.
The federal government runs out of money Oct. 1.
