One week after three Americans – a police officer, an Iraq War veteran, and a mother – were murdered at a Planned Parenthood affiliate in Colorado Springs, Republicans in the U.S. Senate are moving forward on legislation to defund Planned Parenthood and repeal the Affordable Care Act, a law that expands access to mental health care. (Shutterstock image)
One week after three Americans – a police officer, an Iraq War veteran, and a mother – were murdered at a Planned Parenthood affiliate in Colorado Springs, Republicans in the U.S. Senate are moving forward on legislation to defund Planned Parenthood and repeal the Affordable Care Act, a law that expandsaccess to mental health care.
While most of the country is crying out for sensible reforms to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, the mentally ill, and those on national security watch lists, the GOP has instead decided to continue their relentless political agenda to deny women the freedom to make their own health care choices, even though the Supreme Court has settled that women have the right to an abortion for decades.
What’s more, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the Chairman tasked with investigating Planned Parenthood by GOP House leadership, admitted in October that he found no wrongdoing in the group’s efforts to provide women and families with health care.
The legislation is set for a vote later tonight. All eyes will be on Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz – who originally opposed the legislation because it wasn’t extreme enough, so Senate leaders have worked hard to make the bill more extreme in order to placate their party’s presidential hopefuls.
And just a reminder – if Congress doesn’t approve a funding bill by December 11, the Republicans will once again be shutting down the government. No pressure.
Eric Walker
“This is the sort of shameful, tone-deaf response we’ve come to expect from a Republican Party that won’t lift a finger to stop gun violence, but will continue to pursue their agenda of taking away people’s health care and getting in between a woman and her constitutional right to choose. Despite the GOP’s call for action on mental health, this legislation would repeal the Affordable Care Act, a law that expands access to mental health services. It’s hard to get more backwards than that.” – DNC Spokesman Eric Walker
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