Cole: Shutdown Won’t Defund Planned Parenthood
Shutdown won’t defund Planned Parenthood
BY U.S. REP. TOM COLE
The release of a series of videos that have exposed the despicable backroom practices at Planned Parenthood and which documented disturbing conversations with some of its employees have caused Americans to question the federal funding the organization receives.
Without question, I share the same disgust of the utter disregard for unborn human life demonstrated by the organization’s sale of aborted body parts in the videos. Like many others across the nation, I certainly do not believe that taxpayers should foot the bill for any of Planned Parenthood’s expenses. However, given the political reality in which we live, the system by which our government operates and the process by which Planned Parenthood receives its federal funding, that goal is much easier said than done.
In the midst of the Planned Parenthood scandal, lawmakers were confronted with a different crisis last week. With funding for the government’s operations across all agencies set to expire on September 30th, I was relieved that Congress acted responsibly and passed a short-term bill in both chambers to keep the government open. Signed into law by the president, the funding measure lasts through Dec. 11 and prevents a painful government shutdown.
While I was disappointed that we were forced to rely on another short-term resolution, it is more important that Congress avoided the serious consequences a government shutdown would have on our economy, troops and veterans, national security and numerous other government-funded organizations and employees.