The House passed a bill Tuesday that would allow states to withhold Medicaid funding to health groups that perform abortions, in what is the latest attempt to strip Planned Parenthood of government funds.
Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Utah and New Hampshire have all made efforts to strip Planned Parenthood of state funds via Medicaid. The Obama administration warned states that’s against the law, which stipulates Medicaid beneficiaries must be allowed to receive care from any qualified provider.
Planned Parenthood sued Utah on the ground it’s a qualified provider, and a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order requiring the state to continue funding Planned Parenthood until the suit is resolved.
The House-passed bill would change those rules in order to free up states that want to stop funding Planned Parenthood. The non-profit has come under fire after a series of undercover videos revealed its clinics dealings in aborted fetal tissue. (RELATED: Key Points From The First Nine Planned Parenthood Videos)
“This is not a debate about abortion or even non-abortion, pro-life or pro-abortion,” Republican Rep. Sean Duffy said on the House floor Tuesday. “Those who are even pro-abortion agree that these tactics are unacceptable. They have no place in our society, and that federal tax dollars should actually go to fund an institution that harvests baby body parts for sale is absolutely asinine.”
The bill has been moved to the Senate.
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