https://www.conservativereview.com/Commentary/2015/08/planned-parenthood-show-vote-and-two-democratsPlanned Parenthood Show Vote & the Two Faces of Red State Democrats
Print
By: Daniel Horowitz | August 4th, 2015
What was the purpose of conducting a vote to defund Planned Parenthood on a standalone bill immediately after blocking amendments to do just that on a “must-pass” bill? What is the purpose of voting to block taxpayer funding for abortions and then continuing to fund them in the Continuing Resolution next month – as Republicans have done 30 times before?
Evidently, the only purpose of this vote was to give Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN) a loincloth in order to cover their flaws on consequential votes. You read that right. The only outcome of this vote was to help Democrats maintain two Senate seats that Republicans must own in the long-run in order to command a secure majority in the upper chamber.
Knowing full well that the bill to defund Planned Parenthood would never secure 60 votes to proceed with debate, Manchin and Donnelly embraced the robust opportunity to shore up their pro-life bonafides in red states. Unlike wayward Republicans, red state Democrats know how to dissent from their party without doing damage – they only vote with their constituents when the outcome will never hurt their party bosses.
Joe Manchin is very proud to proclaim himself a pro-life Democrat, yet on April 14, 2011, he failed is first test on the life issue as an elected senator. He voted against the enrollment correction (H.Con.Res. 36) that would have made changes to the final FY2011 budget bill to prevent funding for Planned Parenthood (Roll Call No. 60). When it really mattered and would have affected the budget, he voted to give taxpayer funds to this barbaric abortionist group.
Then, on July 16, 2014, he voted to proceed with a Democrat bill overturning the Supreme Court’s “Hobby Lobby” decision, which protected the religious liberty of employers. This bill would have forced private employers to cover abortion-inducing drugs in any compensation package for employees. Needless to say, Donnelly voted with the Left as well.
As such, this entire charade was a show vote within a show vote for these two Democrats.
Aside from the fact that Republicans have shunned the opportunity to stand for life on consequential legislative vehicles, they also declined to fight for life even on the one standalone bill that could have made it to Obama’s desk. Earlier this year, they had an opportunity to nullify a law passed by the D.C. City Council requiring all district employers to cover abortifacients in their employee benefit packages. The procedures for passing such a resolution of disapproval are privileged and not subject to a filibuster. Yet, McConnell refused to schedule a committee markup on the resolution.
In many ways this vote was emblematic of what is wrong with the modern-day Republican Party. They stand for all of the right things except for when it actually matters and when they could actually affect the outcome. This lesson has become all too painful on numerous occasions since the midterm elections. But if they have no intention to fight for us in a meaningful way, do they have to go so far as to help red state Democrats maintain their seats in the Senate?
