Senate Republicans and Democrats have struck a deal on a human trafficking bill that will also allow speedy consideration of Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch.
Republican authors of a bill to assist victims of human trafficking have agreed to separate funding so that federal funding is not used to pay for abortion services.
According to Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, the money has been split so that restrictions on abortion do not apply to fees collected for the victims, which Democrats said constituted an expansion of abortion limitations. The segregated fund would pay for law enforcement services and shelters, not medical services.
Money for medical services for the victims would be fenced off in a fund furnished by taxpayer money. Federal restrictions on abortion funding would apply to that fund.
“This is a way to eliminate extraneous provision and still keep the spirit of this bill,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a main negotiator, said when the deal was announced.
Cornyn said he was “thrilled” with the deal, which comes after weeks of stalled action on the legislation.
The agreement paves the way for a vote on Lynch, who was first nominated in November but whose confirmation has lagged.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., tied the vote to passage of the trafficking bill after Democrats balked at the abortion language. Republicans blamed Democrats, who approved the bill in committee but later withdrew their backing after noticing the abortion provision.
“As soon as we finish the trafficking bill, as I’ve indicated for some time now, we’ll move to the president’s nominee for attorney general, hopefully in the next day or so,” McConnell said.
