House Republicans have apparently decided they've done all they need to to defund Planned Parenthood, and as of now anyway, it looks like they will leave it out of spending negotiations. Not because they've come to their senses. They think they have a better issue for a government shutdown: refugees.
Republicans have not included any measures related to defunding Planned Parenthood in their most recent offer to Democrats on the spending bill, according to a Democratic aide.
A Republican aide noted that a separate bill repealing ObamaCare that the Senate is expected to vote on Thursday would defund Planned Parenthood. […]
On Monday, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) acknowledged that the winds had shifted on Planned Parenthood, especially since the terrorist attacks in Paris.
"I do not hear people shutting the government down over it right now," McCarthy said. "I think security is becoming the top issue I'm hearing, especially in the last two weeks."
That would be security from refugees, not security from people on the terrorist watch list. As far as House Republicans are concerned, those people should not be prevented from getting guns. Seems like that might be the first thing to think about when it comes to security. And refugees are their only potential shutdown excuse, there's also President Obama's climate initiatives.
There's also the slim chance that there is a shred of decency left in these people and after the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood mass shooting last week, have decided that maybe they should not be spending their time on the floor railing about baby parts. Maybe. Likelier they just don't see a political advantage in it anymore. Note, though, that Mitch McConnell also floated the possibility of abandoning Planned Parenthood defunding, but that trial balloon was quickly popped and the Senate included it in the Obamacare repeal. So there's no guarantee the House won't be piling it back on to the spending fight heap.
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