Posted on 11/11/2015 5:51:52 AM PST by wagglebee
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 10, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) -- Senate Republicans have "no desire" to pull a Planned Parenthood defunding measure but they may have no choice, a GOP aide told LifeSiteNews.
Last month, House Republicans passed a bill to repeal several components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through reconciliation, a budget process that avoids a Senate filibuster and requires a simple majority vote instead of the normal 60.
That bill also included a measure to defund Planned Parenthood, which may need to be pulled if the Senate Parliamentarian rules it is not a budgetary measure.
Earlier this year, Elizabeth MacDonough indicated she would hold a repeal of the ACA up to a high standard for reconciliation. That bar may mean that a defunding measure won't pass muster because its intent is more about the effect on Planned Parenthood, not budget savings.
The Hill cited numerous Senate aides and others who say the language is likely to be pulled, though a GOP aide told LifeSiteNews that "there’s no desire to pull the provision," and that "The Hill got ahead of the parliamentarian."
A Senate GOP aide likewise clarified to LifeSiteNews that Members "don’t know how the parliamentarian will rule on the bill. That will impact how the bill text will look."
The bill is also running into political problems: Several moderate GOP senators may not vote for the Planned Parenthood defunding measure. Last month, one of those senators -- Alaskan Lisa Murkowski -- said she is "a supporter of Planned Parenthood."
And three conservative lawmakers running for president of the United States -- Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Ted Cruz of Texas -- say the House bill doesn't go far enough, which may cause the Senate to make the bill more expansive in terms of repealing portions of the ACA.
The Hill reports that the House's bill maintains several tax increases, health insurance subsidies, and Medicaid expansion. It repeals the so-called "Cadillac tax" on high-end employer-provided health plans, the medical device tax, and mandates to purchase and provide insurance plans.
Regardless of what the final legislation includes, it is considered dead on arrival in the White House, given the president's support for Planned Parenthood and the ACA.
Phone number to call your senator: (202) 224-3121
The defunding measure has been nothing but a dog and pony show from the start.
They never intended to actually pass it, they just wanted to be on record supporting it and get some soundbites for their next campaign to show how much they tried to do something about the ongoing mass slaughter of infants. After all, it's not like those aborted infants vote, right?
It's all about misdirection.
JMHo
With all the backstabbing going on, it’s hard to keep track.
You can always tell the conservative in a crowd...they look like a pincushion.
Misdirection and agitprop.
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