This is very good news for
the majority of the country. After a tireless defense against anti-choice GOP lawmakers, and a massive outpour of support for Planned Parenthood, including last night's Twitter Bomb, #WeWontGoBack, the Republican attempt to defund Planned Parenthood was blocked Thursday afternoon. The story was picked up, within minutes, by Erin Kelly/
USA Today and then by
Occupy Democrats on Facebook who designed the above meme and got the news out to a massive social media audience:
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats blocked a bill Thursday to keep the government funded through Dec. 11 because of a Republican provision to strip Planned Parenthood of federal money for a year.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., moved immediately after the vote to try to avert an Oct. 1 government shutdown by filing a new bill that funds federal agencies but does not include the divisive Planned Parenthood provision. A vote on that bill could come as early as Monday.
Senators voted 52-47 Thursday against advancing a government funding bill by McConnell that would have transferred $235 million from Planned Parenthood to women's health clinics that don't perform abortions. Eight Republicans joined all but one Democrat in voting against the motion to advance the bill.
Planned Parenthood is a non-profit healthcare organization that offers services to women, men, and children. They are the largest reproductive health care provider with services focused on breast and cervical cancer screening, HIV screening and counseling, contraception, and abortion. It's reported only 3% of Planned Parenthood's services go to abortion, and no government funding goes to those services. Yet Republican lawmakers continue their wasteful and unfounded attacks with little to no regard for the cost to American taxpayers.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that permanently defunding Planned Parenthood — which many conservatives want to do — would cost the federal government about $130 million over 10 years in increased Medicaid costs for thousands of unplanned births.
Republicans will lose elections trying to destroy Planned Parenthood and working against women's reproductive rights. Some believe it's what
helped destroy Mitt Romneny's presidential chances in 2012. Planned Parenthood is continuously under attack. After misleading 'undercover videos' came out in a series, over the summer, the public outpour has been enormous. Expert
medical opinions, court rulings, and video bloggers like
Rebecca Watson... have all joined in to disprove any wrongdoing by the healthcare organization. Yet Republican lawmakers continue to blatantly lie about the organization. One of the
worst and most damaging falsehoods about Planned Parenthood was told during September's GOP Debate to one of the nation's largest television audiences this year. Presidential candidate, Carly Fiorina basically alluded that there were videos of Planned Parenthood murdering newborn babies. No such videos exist and she has been called out, even by FOX news. It may end her chances for the presidency, but sadly, it planted more seeds of disinformation into to minds of the ignorant, and sometimes violent anti-choice 'pro-life' extremists.
The so-called 'pro-lifers' would do better to check their personal definitions of 'life,' and ask themselves, 'what am I doing for the lives of children once born?'
What the GOP and anti-choice extremists refuse to acknowledge, is that through family planning and birth control, Planned Parenthood has prevented millions of unintended pregnancies and abortions over the last century. And they have saved the lives of countless women who, before Roe V. Wade, resorted to unsafe 'back alley' abortions. To learn more about Planned Parenthood visit PPFA.org.
If you've ever considered supporting Planned Parenthood, this would be a crucial time to get involved/contribute. To make a secured Planned Parenthood donation visit: Planned Parenthood Federation of America, or call 800-798-7092. You can also mail donations to: Planned Parenthood Federation of America, PO Box 97166, Washington DC, 20077-7543
Another way to help - Sign/share this Daily Kos petition:
Defend Planned Parenthood against Republican attacks
Special thanks, again, to
Occupy Democrats, for the great work they do.