House Passes Pro-Life Bill to Make It Easier for States to De-Fund Planned Parenthood

The House of Representatives today passed a pro-life bill that would make it easier for states to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business after the abortion company was caught in a series of 10 videos selling aborted babies and their body parts.

Five states have revoked taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood’s abortion business, including Utah, Arkansas, Alabama, New Hampshire and Louisiana and Iowa’s governor has ordered a review of Planned Parenthood funding. However, those states have faced push back from the Obama administration and Planned Parenthood — both of whom are defending the taxpayer funding in court with claims that states don’t have the authority under Medicaid to revoke taxpayer funding.

Today, in response, the House passed the H.R. 3495, Women’s Public Health and Safety Act. The bill, authored by pro-life Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) amends the Medicaid law to give states the freedom and discretion to exclude abortion providers from Medicaid. States who have sought to end their Medicaid contracts have been blocked from doing so by the Center for Medicaid and Medicaid Services and the bill would give states more latitude to de-fund.
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