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How many years have Republicans been telling us if we would write them a check and vote for them, they would de-fund Planned Parenthood?
We do. They don't.
They've done it again.
Senator Rand Paul is fed-up with the pretense.
So am I. All of us should be.
I'll be sharing some personal thoughts about Senator John McCain today on our live radio program, "Straight Talk."
Please join me from anywhere in the world at 9 AM Pacific Time on your radio, your computer or your phone. Here's how.
I often wonder what it is about the sanctity of life that professing conservatives find so difficult to stand for once they enter the kingdom of DC?
The Republican-controlled Senate has voted to pass an appropriations bill funding the Department of Health and Human Services that---if adopted by the House and signed by President Trump---will not only permit the continued federal funding of Planned Parenthood but will also allow the continued federal funding of scientific research that creates "humanized mice" using organs taken from aborted babies.
What are we thinking?
For years, a central pillar of the Republican platform has been defunding Planned Parenthood.
Sen. Rand Paul had presented an amendment last week that would have prohibited all federal funding of Planned Parenthood.
But the Republican Senate leadership was blocking Paul's amendment.
Dr. Paul sent out a press release calling out his Republican colleagues for refusing to do the right thing and keep their word.
The release also said Paul would be speaking from the floor on the issue.
It was only after Senator Paul's blistering speech from the floor that the Republican Senate leadership even allowed a vote on Paul's amendment at all.
Here is a 4-minute excerpt from Paul's floor speech.
They finally agreed to vote, but the moment was stacked against Sen. Rand Paul and every pro-life Republican.
The amendment vote was brought up under a procedure that required it to get 60 votes.
About an hour after Paul gave his speech, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared and told the Senate they would be voting on Rand Paul's amendment.
The bill which Paul was trying to amend---HR 6157, combined the Labor---HHS-Education funding bill with the Department of Defense funding bill.
Clever, but deceptive to us folks out here away from DC.
For a senator to vote against the Planned Parenthood and fetal-tissue-research funding permitted in the Labor--HHS--Education bill, he or she would have had to vote against the Defense Department funding bill.
Paul's amendment failed on a 45 to 48 vote.
Two Republicans-- Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined the Democrats to defeat it. Four Republicans-- Corker, Cruz, Fischer, and the late John McCain did not vote. Three Democrats---Hirno,. Murray and Schatz did not vote.
This is probably the last opportunity for Republicans to defund PP before the midterm election.
Sen. Rand Paul is asking questions we all should be asking.
- Why would Republicans block a vote on defunding Planned Parenthood?
Paul said, "Surely, the Republican leadership doesn't favor abortion funding, so the answer is a curious one."
His "curious answer" goes like this; "The truth is that Republican leadership favors bloated government spending more than it cares about Planned Parenthood."
He has a point. The spending bill before them exceeds the spending caps by nearly $100 billion.
- Do Republicans fear blocking funding for Planned Parenthood might derail some of their big spending plans for expanding the welfare state? Something else they claim to oppose?
- Why would Republican leadership--Mitch McConnell in particular--claim to be pro-life and so obviously kill the amendment?
Moments after defeating the amendment, the Senate passed the combined Labor--HHS-Education and Defense Funding bill, Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala,) put out a statement congratulating Republican leader McConnell and minority leader Schumer for working together to pass a "bi-partisan" bill.
Outside the aura and majesty of the moment, a Senate aide told CNS News privately that "The chairman has been successful in passing appropriations bills because he and the vice-chairman [Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont] have honored their agreement not to include provisions in these bills that either side considers poison pills."
This explains why opposition to aborting babies is much stronger in the local legislative district than it is in the far away District of Columbia.
Locally, it's a moral passion. In DC, it's a poison pill.
This also explains how we get these unbelievable immoral spending bills that all the "public servants" claim to dislike, but consistently vote for.
James Garfield, in "A Century of Congress" published in the Atlantic in 1877, wrote,
"Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, or corrupt, it is because people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people require these high qualities in the national legislature that represents them."
Vote.
Be Informed. Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful.