In their latest show of allegiance to the abortion industry, pro-abortion U.S. Senators blocked a critical aid bill to combat the Zika virus on Tuesday because it does not give taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood.
The bill passed the U.S. House last week to provide $1.1 billion for prevention, research and other measures to stop the virus from spreading. However, The Washington Examiner reports the bill basically died on Tuesday after it failed to get the 60 votes necessary to end a Senate debate.
Zika, a growing problem in Central and South America, has been linked to birth defects in newborns. Several countries have seen an alarming uptick in the number of babies born with microcephaly, a brain disorder that is not typically fatal but can cause health problems throughout the child’s life.
Abortion advocates have been using the link as an excuse to push for more abortions on babies with disabilities. Some pro-abortion groups even have been scaring women into aborting their unborn babies without knowing if they have Zika or if their unborn baby has a disability.
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Democrats have been trying to blame the stalled aid bill on Republicans, but pro-abortion Democrats have been the ones blocking it because it does not include taxpayer funding for the abortion giant Planned Parenthood. Pro-abortion President Barack Obama also said he would veto the bill because it blocked funding to the abortion business, Breitbart reports. The $1.1 billion in funding also is less than what Obama wants, according to reports.
“The exact same amount that Democrats unanimously supported six weeks ago and now Democrats don’t want to support it,” Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, said.
Thune said it was outrageous that Democrats are blocking the measure merely because it doesn’t allow funding to go to a few Planned Parenthood facilities in Puerto Rico. He said other health centers that offer comprehensive care would receive the aid money.
“A handful of Planned Parenthood clinics in Puerto Rico,” Thune said. “Seriously. This is what this is about?”
Before the vote Tuesday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, warned Democrats that blocking the bill would prevent critical anti-Zika funds from helping families suffering from the virus.
According to the Washington Examiner, the aid funding now is more uncertain than ever. There are only a few days left in the legislative session this summer, and a whole new funding plan must be drafted, the report states.
Earlier this week, Red State criticized Democrats for using Planned Parenthood to “hold Zika funding hostage.”
“Democrats in Congress refuse to acknowledge that the majority of women’s healthcare in this country is not related to Planned Parenthood. The best healthcare for women, whether Zika-related or not, remains with clinics providing non-abortive education, prescriptions, and services,” Red State’s Kimberly Ross wrote.
This month, the Centers for Disease Control reported the first cases of babies with disabilities in the U.S. after their mothers contracted Zika. Three babies were born, while three others were aborted or miscarried, according to the CDC.
At least one U.S. mom has said yes to having her baby, despite being infected with Zika, LifeNews reported in May. Connecticut teen Sara Mujica believes her unborn baby’s life is a miracle.
Families who have experiences with microcephaly also are countering abortion activists’ fear mongering, saying that women should be offered education about the condition and support – not abortion.
The fact that abortion activists believe people with disabilities like microcephaly should be targeted for abortion also is concerning to many disability rights advocates, even some who support abortion.
