House Speaker Paul Ryan announced yesterday that a provision defunding Planned Parenthood will be included in the same budget reconciliation bill that will repeal Obamacare.

The Washington Times is reporting on the Speaker’s press briefing yesterday in which he confirmed that a measure to defund Planned Parenthood is included in the same reconciliation bill that will repeal Obamacare.

“The Planned Parenthood legislation would be in our reconciliation bill,” Ryan said.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate approved a budget resolution bill which will serve as the first step in the process of redirecting Planned Parenthood funding to U.S. health care centers that don’t provide abortions.

As the Times reported, the vote on the bill was mostly along party lines with all but one Republican Senator voting in favor of the bill and only Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voting against it due to his concerns about how the party is going about the repeal process. All Democratic Senators voted against it.

The vote begins the debate on the 2017 budget which is certain to be a contentious one that will stretch over the next few months. Once a final budget is decided upon, it will need final approval in the Senate and the House, both of which are controlled by conservatives. After this has been done, several committees will be charged with drafting specific legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, legislation that will have to return to the floors of both chambers for a final vote.

It will be a long process, but one that is now underway with the promise of a much more successful conclusion for pro-life voters than the last attempt. Similar legislation – also containing a provision to strip Planned Parenthood of its funding - was passed last year but was vetoed by outgoing President Barack Obama.

Incoming President Donald J. Trump has already promised to defund Planned Parenthood.

“Today’s commitment by Speaker Ryan to re-direct the abortion giant’s taxpayer funding to community health centers is a victory for women’s health care,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List. “Community health centers provide far more services than Planned Parenthood and outnumber them 20 to 1 nationwide. We commend Speaker Paul Ryan on his continued resolve to fund women’s health care, not abortion.”

Once the measure passes, Planned Parenthood stands to lose more than a half-billion dollars in taxpayer funds, most of which come in the form of federal Medicaid reimbursements.

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