Senate Majority Leader Reid Blocks Legislation to Avert Shutdown While
Protecting Planned Parenthood
April 8, 2011, 1:02 pm, Central
Diane W. Collins
dcollins@marketingweb.com
 |
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "Hopeful we can reach agreement on budget..." |
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) stated on the Senate floor in opening remarks this morning that the Democrats were hopeful they could reach agreement on a budget today.
Immediately thereafter, Sen. Reid objected to both HR 1255 and S 768, legislation formed in an effort to prevent a shutdown and fund the Pentagon through FY 2011 ensuring our military is paid. So why did he reject them preventing either from coming to the floor?
It is clear that the projected and emotional cover being sold to the American people is a battle over ideology. The Left says the sticking point is the defunding of Planned Parenthood which receives under Title 10 approximately $337 million to provide "healthcare services." And the indignation has been proclaimed with theatrical vigor. We watched Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) rev up a Planned Parenthood rally on Capitol Hill Thursday declaring the Republicans were attempting to keep women from the healthcare services they need by defunding Planned Parenthood. Yet money under Title 10 does not require any person to seek healthcare services from a particular provider. Defunding Planned Parenthood would not defund Title 10.
Planned Parenthood is a profitable business with $951 million in total assets whose major service is abortions. Abortions are "big business" at a cost of approximately $413 for the procedure for early termination ranging to $3000 for second or later trimesters, as provided under state laws. Most Americans do not want their tax dollars used in the provision of abortions even though some in that group support a woman's choice. Free will is yours. Just don't ask for my assistance in that choice by forcing me to pay for it. The Hyde Amendment passed in 1976 is cited by the Left as protection against such. "The Hyde Amendment applies only to funds allocated by the annual appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services. It primarily affects Medicaid." Yet, any funding of Planned Parenthood helps to fund abortion directly and indirectly.
The Conservative view point is that Planned Parenthood is a profitable company whose major service is abortions. Any assistance that helps Planned Parenthood keep the lights on enables abortion and should be defunded. If Planned Parenthood wants to be the largest abortion mill in the country, then they should do so as a private enterprise and not a government assisted non-profit. I call on Congress to further investigate those who so loudly support this abortion mill and see if there are economic ties. Abortion is big business. Deplorable.
So, the point is this. The government shutdown is not about policy issues just as Speaker Boehner has said. Going one step further, I would say policy issues are ways of motivating the public and at times they're bargaining chips for politicians. It's about the money.
Contact: Representatives, Contact: Senators
Further Reading: