Washington D.C., May 2, 2017 / 14:26 pm
A massive spending package to be voted on by Congress has drawn applause for continuing foreign aid spending, but also concern at its proposal to keep funding Planned Parenthood.
The pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List said the bill's funding of Planned Parenthood was "incredibly disappointing," and president Marjorie Dannenfelser insisted that it was "imperative" for the House to pass a "reconciliation bill that redirects the abortion giant's funding to community health centers."
The House has voted multiple times to strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding because it is the nation's largest performer of abortions, with more than 300,000 abortions per year according to its own reports. A measure defunding the organization for one year was included in the American Health Care Act, but that bill had failed to reach the House floor for a vote. A revised health care bill is now being considered by Congress.
On Sunday, an agreement was reached between the House and Senate on an Omnibus bill, a funding bill for the rest of the 2017 fiscal year that could be voted on this week.