The U.S. Senate is scheduled to take a procedural vote today on whether to strip funding from Planned Parenthood. Upset by undercover videos released by an anti-abortion group, Republicans say they want to shift more than $500 million from Planned Parenthood to other clinics.
Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill says the move could endanger women’s access to birth control, likely resulting in more abortions. Missouri Republican Roy Blunt disagrees and says he’s confident women will still find those services.
“There are well over 200 federally qualified clinics that in many cases provide the service that Planned Parenthood says they provide, they just direct somebody to go to the Planned Parenthood clinic and get it taken care of there,” Blunt said.
Blunt says the millions slated for Planned Parenthood should be shifted to federally qualified community health centers. Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill questions that assertion.
“Seems to me every time I turn around the Republicans are fighting the accessibility, the affordability and the availability of birth control,” McCaskill said. “So, I really don’t want to put my faith that all of a sudden they would somehow really get all behind making sure women of America can get birth control.”
Today’s vote would only shorten debate on the bill. For some senators up for re-election next year, even that vote will be problematic.
