Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday repeated his pledge to avoid a government shutdown fight over Planned Parenthood funding, saying it can’t be done with a Democratic president.
“The cold, hard reality for those of us who don’t support Planned Parenthood is we need a president who has a similar view who would sign such a bill,” McConnell, R-Ky., said.
Conservatives have been calling on the GOP leadership to use the must-pass funding legislation as a vehicle to strip taxpayer funding from Planned Parenthood. But McConnell said only a fraction of the half-billion dollars in taxpayer funding is appropriated by Congress.
Most of the money, about $470 million, comes from Medicaid spending, McConnell said.
“If you shut down the government, you will not defund Planned Parenthood,” McConnell said. “It will not happen.”
McConnell said the effort would be “an exercise in futility.”
Republicans have been working to mollify conservatives with other measures that take on the organization, whose officials have been shown on ten undercover videos discussing the trade of money for fetal body parts.
McConnell announced the Senate next week will vote on legislation that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
In the House, lawmakers this week will vote on a bill to defund Planned Parenthood as well as a second bill aimed at protecting a baby born alive during an abortion.
McConnell also pointed out that pro-life groups, including the National Right to Life Committee, are siding with the GOP leadership in opposing a move to tie Planned Parenthood defunding to the federal budget.
“There are not many fans of Planned Parenthood in my conference, certainly not me,” McConnell said. “We have all been appalled by the videos we have seen. The question is, how do we achieve the goal.”
