The Senate passed a massive economic relief bill late Wednesday night that will provide financial support for a nation reeling from the coronavirus crisis. For pro-life Americans, the good news is that the legislation will not force Americans to fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business, which kills over 330,000 babies in abortions every single year.
The package passed the Senate 96-0 after Republicans were able to stop pro-abortion democrat leader Chuck Schumer from forcing Americans to fund the abortion giant.
During the development of the first stimulus bill to tackle the coronavirus situation, White House officials caught Nancy Pelosi trying to force Americans to fund abortions because she put funding in the bill under a section of HHS where the provisions of the Hyde Amendment would not apply.
Earlier this week, as Republicans and Democrats hash about the economic stimulus bill to respond to the health pandemic, Pelosi was again exposed trying to include funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion company in a bill that should be about economic relief for small businesses and even though Planned Parenthood is technically a nonprofit.
Over the in the Senate, pro-abortion Senator Chuck Schumer spent the week trying to force Americans to fund Planned Parenthood as well. As Bloomberg News reported, he was trying to get rid of a Republican provision ensuring the abortion giant does not receive funding:
A fight over abortion providers like Planned Parenthood is one of the remaining holdups in negotiations over the Senate’s stimulus bill, according to a person familiar with the talks.
Democrats want abortion providers to be eligible for aid under the small business portion of the bill, the person said.
Republicans had put in language barring nonprofits that receive Medicaid funding, which includes Planned Parenthood, from accessing that aid.
A Democratic aide said more than Planned Parenthood would be affected by the disputed language.
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But as Politico reported, Republicans got Schumer and Democrats to back down: “The section on small-business loans is intact, and the GOP won fights barring Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood and other non-profits.”
ACLJ Director of Government Affairs Thann Bennett confirmed the victory: “This is one of the provisions that we actually flagged for The Hill, among other people. In a nutshell the Left wanted Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers to be able to access the small business loans, the ones that were intended to meet payroll. That was the provision that got changed. I’m hearing from multiple sources on The Hill, that it has been corrected.”
Senator Ted Cruz, a pro-life Republican, blasted Democrats for trying to fund Planned Parenthood and express the sentiments of millions of pro-life Americans:
“This is why everyone hates Washington politics,” the senator tweeted. “Millions of Americans are suffering and the Democrats are holding desperately-needed relief hostage for funds to support abortion.”
Leading pro-life groups have condemned Democrats for pushing abortion and Planned Parenthood funding in what should be coronavirus relief. As Jay Sekulow of the ACLJ said: “There are new provisions – using fuzzy drafting language – that we fear could be used to provide billions of dollars to the abortion industry. We cannot allow this Coronavirus relief bill to become a Planned Parenthood slush fund.”
The House will now vote on the Senate bill in order to get it to President Donald Trump’s desk so he can sign it into law.
