Washington D.C., Mar 30, 2017 / 14:27 pm
Vice President Mike Pence cast the deciding vote in the Senate Thursday to advance a measure allowing states to once more have the freedom to avoid funding Planned Parenthood clinics with federal "family planning" grants.
The vote was "a victory for all Americans who don't want to see their tax dollars subsidizing the abortion industry and its ghoulish trafficking in aborted baby's organs," Maureen Ferguson, senior policy advisor with The Catholic Association, stated on Thursday.
At issue is a rule created by the Obama administration last December which forbade states to withhold Title X "family planning" grants to Planned Parenthood clinics on account of the fact that they perform abortions. States had been instead looking to fund other health clinics.
On Thursday, the Senate was voting to advance a joint resolution of disapproval that already passed the House. It would cancel the HHS rule.