Paul Ryan Defends Not Defunding Planned Parenthood in New Spending Bill

Veronica Neffinger | iBelieve Contributor | Updated: May 03, 2017

Paul Ryan Defends Not Defunding Planned Parenthood in New Spending Bill

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) has defended the fact that defunding Planned Parenthood is absent from Congress’ new spending bill.

The Washington Examiner reports that Congress is set to vote on the new spending bill this week. The bill is needed to avoid a government shutdown.

As ChristianHeadlines.com previously reported, the spending bill is a $1 trillion spending package, which includes $12.5 billion to be allocated for increased military spending and $1.5 billion for border security.

Pro-life advocates lamented the missing defunding measure in the bill, however.

"With pro-life Republican majorities in both houses, it is incredibly disappointing that any Republican spending bill would contain continued funding for Planned Parenthood," Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the Washington-based pro-life lobbying organization Susan B. Anthony List who chaired the Trump campaign's pro-life coalition, said in a statement Monday.

Speaker Paul Ryan, in his weekly press conference, attempted to assuage the disappointment of pro-lifers by noting that the reason why lawmakers left out defunding of Planned Parenthood from the spending bill is that they believe such a measure can be better accomplished through a reconciliation bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

While the spending bill requires 60 votes in the Senate to pass, the reconciliation bill would only require 51. 

"The reconciliation bill advances the pro-life cause even further," Ryan noted.

 

Photo: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) walks to his office after gaveling the House into session, on Capitol Hill, March 24, 2017 in Washington. House Republicans are planning to vote on the American Health Care Act on Friday.

Photo courtesy: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Publication date: May 3, 2017



Paul Ryan Defends Not Defunding Planned Parenthood in New Spending Bill