Pro-choice lawmakers on the Hill may soon get another chance to reveal just how beholden they are to special interest groups after holding up a Zika funding bill mainly because it denied funds to Planned Parenthood.
The Hill is reporting on the showdown, which could take place this week when Congress returns from the Fourth of July break. The bill was blocked by Senate Democrats last Tuesday because it limited funds for Planned Parenthood while appropriating it for community health centers and other providers.
Pro-choice lawmakers insisted that Planned Parenthood’s services, which include abortion, could help prevent the spread of the virus.
In an attempt to defend his party for blocking funding for one of the most pressing health concerns of the year, Senate Minority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) held a press conference with Planned Parenthood’s vice president Dawn Laguens in which he said that women have “no place else to go.”
Not true, says Senator John Thune (R-SD). “Special interests got to them, special interest groups snapped their fingers and the Democrats came running. And as a consequence, there is not going to be funding for Zika.”
Pro-life lawmakers note that Planned Parenthood can still be reimbursed through Medicaid and that the Zika bill provides funding for thousands of community health centers where women in need can find appropriate care.
This is just the latest episode in a partisan battle that began in May when the Senate reached a bipartisan funding deal for $1.1 billion in funding. The bill wasn’t paid for and it also lacked any restrictions on Planned Parenthood.
However, the House balked at the deal, insisting that it be funded with cuts to money slated for Ebola and ObamaCare funding. It also put limits on funding to Planned Parenthood which is embroiled in a congressional investigation for alleged illegal trafficking of fetal body parts. The House also added a measure which would loosen Clean Water Act rules that apply to the spraying of pesticides. The result was a bill that Democrats refused to embrace. They are now calling for Republicans to return to the negotiating table, which could happen when lawmakers return from their holiday break tomorrow.
As the Hill reports, “for now, there’s no resolution in sight with both parties digging in their heels.”
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