This is
what success looks like for Planned Parenthood in 2014: the spending bill passed by Congress included several restrictions on abortion funding ... but it didn't include any
new attacks on choice, so it was a win. Passing a short-term bill to be followed by a longer-term bill crafted entirely by Republicans could have meant some extreme new anti-choice policies, like ones Republicans tried to get into the bill that passed:
A month ago, when lawmakers were still hashing out what to include in the bill, Republicans tried to shoehorn in a number of anti-abortion measures. One of those was the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, which would have allowed doctors, health insurance companies, and hospitals to decline to provide certain abortion services, and to refuse to give out information to women about abortion options. Another proposal would have prevented health insurance plans sold through the new Obamacare exchanges from covering abortion and would have nixed tax benefits for small businesses that buy health plans that cover abortion. Democrats managed to strip both provisions from the final bill.
Planned Parenthood and its allies feared that GOPers would force a reduction in funding for family planning programs next year. Here, again, Dems held their ground. The Title X Family Planning Program, which helps low-income women avoid unwanted pregnancies, got an appropriation of about $300 million, the same as last year. Congress doled out $101 million to the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, and roughly $600 million for international family planning programs.
Additionally, Peace Corps volunteers will get the same limited abortion coverage as most federal employees already had. Planned Parenthood ended up actively supporting the bill.
When Republicans have power, keeping things from getting any worse really can be a win. This is also why it's so important to fight for forward progress in states and cities where that is a real possibility.