Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) accused Republicans of paying only “lip service” to the pro-life movement on the Senate floor Thursday after Senate Republican leadership blocked his amendment to defund Planned Parenthood over concerns that it would be a “poison pill” that would prevent the appropriations package for Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education from passing.
“The dirty little secret is the Republican leadership is blocking my amendment,” Paul said, asking, “What is more important to these Republicans? Saving lives or spending money?”
The Senate allowed a vote on the amendment following Sen. Paul’s speech. However, his amendment failed in a 45-48 vote with a 60-vote threshold and GOP Senators Collins (ME) and Murkowski (AK) joined Democrats to vote against it.
“Planned Parenthood ends the lives of 320,000 babies each year, that’s about 900 babies every day,” Paul emphasized in his speech on the Senate floor. “Planned Parenthood received over 400 million dollars of taxpayer money, the government with a wink and a nod tells us that Planned Parenthood doesn’t spend the money on abortions but everybody knows that the taxpayers are really cross-subsidizing Planned Parenthood’s abortion mills.”
Planned Parenthood has performed 321,384 abortions over this past year, according to their latest annual report and received about $543.7 million in federal funding.
My amendment would end funding to Planned Parenthood, but it is being blocked by... Republicans. pic.twitter.com/7pSE5OgOlV
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 23, 2018
Big-spending Republicans fear that blocking funding for Planned Parenthood would derail their plans to greatly expand the welfare-warfare state. pic.twitter.com/ddKN6RjjgX
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 23, 2018
Following my speech calling out those blocking my amendment, the Senate is now holding a vote on my proposal.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 23, 2018
Pro-life groups praised Paul for pushing a vote on his amendment and to those who voted in favor of it.
“March for Life is grateful to Senator Paul and to those who voted in favor of an amendment to the appropriations bill that would have banned funding to abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, nation’s largest abortion provider, and subject of Department of Justice investigation into the trafficking of aborted baby body parts,” Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for life commented.
“Unfortunately, many Senators who claim to be pro-life defied their constituents and the consensus of the American public by giving the abortion industry a pass,” she added. “Almost two-thirds of Americans say they do not want to fund abortion with their tax dollars. Disentangling American taxpayers from the abortion industry is long overdue. Our elected representatives should join the national consensus and put an end to taxpayer funding of abortion, or risk being voted out of office.”