Last month, Townhall received an exclusive first look at a joint resolution Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced in the U.S. Senate and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Using the Congressional Review Act (CRA), the resolution would have overturned the Biden administration's 2021 Final Rule for Title X family planning funds. Thanks to the Biden administration overturning the 2019 Final Rule under the Trump administration which was also known as the "Protect Life" rule, funds now go to providers that perform or refer for abortions. Thanks to 49 Senators--most of them Democrats--they will continue to do so, as the resolution failed on Wednesday night.
Dem voting Yes: Senator Manchin
— Senate Press Gallery (@SenatePress) April 27, 2022
GOP voting No: Senators Collins and Murkowski
Not voting: Senators Murphy and Wyden
A press release soon after from the senator's office highlighted how "Rubio Slams Senate Democrats for Failure to Protect Life."
After the resolution failed, Sen. Rubio issued a strong statement, which also contained reassurances about his stance on the issue. "President Biden’s rule is an assault on the most sacred and fundamental human right, the right to life," he said. "It is disgraceful that Democrats voted to use tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to promote abortion instead of reinstating commonsense safeguards that protect life and ensure families have the resources they need to thrive. I will never stop advocating for the unborn."
The Susan B. Anthony List, which indicated to senators earlier on Wednesday that it would score the vote, also issued a statement on behalf of SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser.
"The strong majority of Americans agree abortion is not ‘family planning’ and tax dollars should not be funneled to abortion businesses. Ignoring the clear will of the people as well as the letter of the law, the Biden-Harris administration rewrote the rules of the Title X program in a payout to the abortion industry that spent millions to elect them," Dannenfelser said. "We thank Senator Rubio for his leadership, all our pro-life Republican allies, and Senator Joe Manchin who continues to stand up to extremism in his party. Commonsense protections for unborn children and their mothers are not partisan and pro-abortion Democrats push abortion on demand at their political peril."
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The resolution would have been able to pass with a simple majority, as it was using the CRA.
It's worth reminding that the "Protect Life" rule, did not reduce Title X funding when it comes to essential care for women and families, but essentially redirected it to those providers which do not perform or refer for abortions.
Sen. Rubio brought this up in his remarks from the Senate floor before the vote. "Now, understand this didn't reduce Title X funding, didn't cut one penny of it," he emphasized. "Instead, it directed it to organizations that do not perform and do not promote the taking of innocent life. Last year, unfortunately, the Biden administration, as was to be expected, pulled the plug on this vital protection. Now we see taxpayer money flowing, once again, to these abortion providers and their referers. This has to stop," Rubio continued, as he shared that his resolution would "ensure that not one more taxpayer dollar is used to fund the abortion industry. By reversing this administration's ruling, abortion clinics will once more be excluded from receiving this taxpayer money, and it would put more money towards improving and saving lives, instead of ending them."
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