http://thefederalist.com/2015/07/28/why-congress-wont-defund-planned-parenthood/Why Congress Won’t Defund Planned Parenthood
In case you had any hopes of Congress ever defunding Planned Parenthood (PP/PPFA) in the wake of investigative videos showing senior employees haggling over selling baby body parts obtained during abortions, please let me dash them right now.
House Speaker John Boehner told reporters late last week he wants “facts first” before voting to defund Planned Parenthood, even though many of his members want him to act on temporary defunding bills that both chambers of Congress saw introduced last week. Via The Hill: “‘I think they’re awful,’ Boehner said about the videos. ‘That’s why the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee are doing an investigation. I expect that we will have hearings. The more we learn, the more it will educate our decisions in the future,’ he said.”
In 2011, Boehner pushed hard for defunding, and his chamber passed a defunding bill in the last Congress. Yesterday, just three days after Boehner said to wait, his top lieutenant said Planned Parenthood should be defunded during the investigations:
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Monday that Congress should immediately defund Planned Parenthood until the group can clear its name of any wrongdoing in the controversy following two viral videos.
The No. 2 House Republican said he supported a ‘moratorium’ on federal funding from Planned Parenthood – the highest-ranking Republican in every chamber to support defunding the group.
‘I just think, regardless of where anybody sits on the issue, is this the best place that tax dollars should be spent?’ McCarthy said in his strongest public comments on the issue. ‘Shouldn’t, at the very least, we withhold tax dollars until the investigation is done?’
Given these realities, why is Boehner hesitating now? Two reasons come to mind.
First, a recent poll showed majority public support for Planned Parenthood. Boehner may be wiser to let more videos come out, to let committees build the public policy and media case for defunding, and to let presidential candidates take the lead on this renewed effort to change public perception about Planned Parenthood. After all, policies tend to have more staying power if the public is behind them.
Second, as a leader in his chamber and within the GOP, Boehner has responsibilities to his caucus and party. A strong push now, when leading Democrats and much of the media are defending Planned Parenthood, is a recipe for renewed claims of a “War on Women.” Yes, the House has passed defunding bills to impress the base, when these didn’t make a difference for policy—now, there is a chance at building public support for defunding, and the feminist knives are sharpened against any missteps.
Republicans Have a History of Backing DownThat said, do conservatives trust Republicans to take a stand when it counts? We’ve watched too many times as promises come and go, even as we watch traditional values slip away, the size and cost of government continue to expand, and the widespread destruction of the unborn continue.
In 2011, President Obama was willing to shut down the government over Planned Parenthood funding, in part because he knew the GOP would back down.
While I believe Boehner is sincere in his stated disgust about the fetal harvesting videos, he has a deserved reputation for breaking promises, and many of his Republican colleagues do not have the stomach for a prolonged fight for the lives of unborn children. The fetal harvesting issue appears to have significant staying power, but one never knows what could derail an investigation or give politicians an excuse to push this issue on to the back burner. In politics, you often have to strike while the iron is hot.
