The legislation that would officially de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business by revoking its federal taxpayer funding has been reintroduced by a leading pro-life congresswoman.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, is picking up the Planned parenthood de-funding mantle from former Congressman Mike Pence, who was elected as Indiana’s governor and was the prime sponsor of the bill House Republicans approved and Senate Democrats defeated.
Blackburn informed LifeNews today that she has introduced the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act (H.R. 61), which would stop the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from providing federal family planning assistance under Title X to abortion businesses until they certify they won’t provide and refer for abortions.
The reintroduction of this legislation in the 113th Congress is similar to legislation Pence introduced in the 112th Congress (H.R. 217).
“Congressman Pence has been a champion in the fight to protect innocent human life and I hope to continue his leadership in the House,” Blackburn said. “As a woman, I believe America deserves better than abortion. America shouldn’t celebrate abortion and our taxpayers shouldn’t subsidize abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood, who profit from the destruction of human life with taxpayer money. It’s fiscally irresponsible and morally indefensible.”
Blackburn is Vice Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Title X of the Public Health Service Act. In 2010, a GAO report showed that America’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, received over $340 million from the Title X family planning program.
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The Senate rejected, on a 44-56 vote, the House-approved long-term budget bill that contains the Pence Amendment de-funding the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Lawmakers needed 60 votes to pass the bill under the rules of the Senate and did not come close to the number needed to do so.
In 2011, House members approved the Pence amendment on a 240-185 vote with 10 Democrats joining most Republicans to support de-funding the abortion business. Another 7 Republicans sided with almost all of the pro-abortion Democrats in the lower chamber in voting for the pro-abortion organization to receive taxpayer funds.
