By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Monday, August 3, US Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) released a statement following the Senate’s vote to move forward on S1881, legislation to defund Planned Parenthood.
Sen. Shelby wrote, “The recent videos depicting Planned Parenthood’s practices are extremely disturbing and underscore why taxpayer dollars should not support this organization. I am a proud cosponsor of legislation that fully protects federal funding for women’s health care, but also redirects taxpayer dollars away from Planned Parenthood. I believe that human life is a gift, which is why I am adamantly pro-life and have consistently opposed taxpayer dollars being used to fund abortions.”
Despite Shelby’s best efforts, Democrats stood united with Planned Parenthood and the vote to end debate failed to get the 60 votes necessary under Senate rules on a 53 to 46 vote.
The National Right to Life President Carol Tobias said in a statement, “You and I as pro-lifers are appalled at what happened today. 46 US Senators used the filibuster to block a vote to defund Planned Parenthood, leaving the abortion giant wallowing in a half-billion dollars of your tax dollars and mine!”
President Tobias continued, “Pro-life senators trying to stop the funding needed 60 votes to advance Sen. Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) bill. We got 53. National Right to Life strongly supported this vote to defund Planned Parenthood, even though we know this is an uphill, long-term battle.”
National Right to Life’s legislative director, Douglas Johnson said that, “Senator Ernst’s bill would push the snout of Planned Parenthood, a bloated abortion mega-marketer and a fetal organ trafficker, out of the US Treasury feeding trough.”
President Tobias said, “It was definitely the right thing to do. But now it’s time to look to what else we can do to actually stop this abuse of taxpayer dollars and at the same time, save many babies’ lives. When a president threatens to veto any legislative effort to defund Planned Parenthood, as Barack Obama did, and when more than 40 US senators are rigidly and shamelessly pro-abortion, enough to block legislation from moving forward in the Senate, we all know what is needed: We need to defeat those senators at the polls in 2016, and we need to elect a pro-life president! That’s the reality.” Tobias went on to urge Pro-Life persons to donate to the National Right to Life Victory Fund. “Helping a pro-life candidate win the White House in 2016, and to electing pro-life US Senators and House members. That’s how we fight back!”
Planned Parenthood Action wrote on Facebook, “The effort to defund Planned Parenthood has FAILED in the Senate. This is great news!! After the failed Senate vote to defund Planned Parenthood, we tuned in to the first presidential forum to see what GOP candidates had to say about women’s health. Turns out, they’re not into it. Perhaps the candidates should rethink their position, as a new poll shows there is more support for Planned Parenthood than any of them.”
Alabama State Representative Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City) wrote afterwards, “Democrats are celebrating a victory????? As I say democrats own abortion. When you vote for a democrat you vote for abortion. They had a chance to do the right thing and could NOT bring themselves to do it. They believe in using your tax dollars for this evil. Vote Pro-Life! Life begins at conception.”
National Right to Life has announced that they are organizing protests against PP’s harvesting and selling of aborted baby parts at Planned Parenthood facilities across America on August 22, 2015 from 9:00am to 11:00 am. On twitter the handle is #PPSellsBabyParts.
Senator Richard Shelby is the senior Senator from Alabama and faces re-election next year. Noted marijuana advocate Ron Crumpton (D) has announced that he is challenging Shelby for the US Senate.
