American legislators now find themselves ‘walking on eggshells’ as the Republican Party seems not to be moving rapidly to realize the repeal of Obamacare. However, some lawmakers are starting to become more worried that a new budget bill might no longer fund Planned Parenthood.
According to GOP Rep. Jim Jordan, who is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, he has publicly urged party leaders to render an immediate vote on a 2015 budget reconciliation bill that allocated a lion’s share of the national budget on the Affordable Care Act, and eliminated funding for Planned Parenthood. The said bill has been vetoed by then-President Barack Obama.
With the matter at hand, Jordan also relayed that they heard the defund Planned Parenthood program may not stay in. Jordan’s sentiment is shared by fellow lawmakers and Planned Parenthood advocates who fear that the program will no longer receive the intended federal funding. If lawmakers succeed in rolling back Obamacare, funding for Planned Parenthood will be one of the first policies to be "chopped off," CNN reports.
This provision is predicted to create a conflict in the Senate. At present, two pro-abortion senators, Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, said that they will not commit in supporting the approval of the bill which will still benefit Planned Parenthood. On the other hand, some moderate Republicans are concerned that the bill defunding Planned Parenthood might cause political protests from local citizens.
Star Tribune reported that thousands of Planned Parenthood supporters flocked Feb. 11 at the St. Paul Rally. They have outnumbered groups who are opposing abortion. The big rally was called “I Stand With Planned Parenthood.”
Last month, it has been reported that Planned Parenthood CEO Betty Cockrum has resigned. She said that she has lost interest in running the clinic. Cockrum has served for 15 years.
