What does it say about the Obama Justice Department that no one on the face of the planet believes there’s any chance they would even begin to investigate Planned Parenthood? –Senator Ted Cruz, September, 2015
In the wake of inaction by Obama’s Department of Justice on prima facie evidence indicating that Planned Parenthood is guilty of egregious federal crimes regarding the trafficking of human body parts, Congress forced the president to demonstrate openly his radical anti-Life position. Today, he did so by vetoing a measure that would have defunded Planned Parenthood.
On Wednesday, Congress passed HR 3762, the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015, by a vote of 240-181. The vote was almost entirely along party lines, with only one Democrat, Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN), siding with the Pro-Life Republican majority. Seven Republicans voted against the bill. HR 3762 is a budget reconciliation bill, which cannot be filibustered and needs only a simple majority to pass.
Pro-Life elected officials harnessed the reconciliation bill strategy after Democrats threatened to filibuster other strategies (which require a 60-vote majority to pass) poised to defund Planned Parenthood. Through the budget reconciliation bill, Planned Parenthood would be divested of the bulk of their funding for their numerous abortion mills and affiliates.
Even before Congress voted, Pro-Lifers knew that HR 3762 was unlikely to become law, as Obama vowed to veto any legislation that would strain his rock-solid relationship with the abortion behemoth and Democrat campaign mega donor Planned Parenthood. Indeed, today Obama affirmed his commitment to abortion-on-demand by vetoing the reconciliation bill. While a presidential veto was expected, the fact that both houses of Congress have passed a bill to defund the abortion giant creates a stark contrast between the American electorate and the president’s out-of-touch position on abortion.
HR 3762 also included language to overturn the Affordable Care Act, Obama’s eponymously-nicknamed healthcare reform law that includes multiple significant anti-Life provisions.
This is the first time Congress has successfully sent legislation defunding the abortion giant to the president’s desk, which indicates Congress’s ability to send a similar provision to the occupant of the White House. Obama’s veto of HR 3762 highlights the critical nature of this year’s presidential race. Pro-Lifers cannot afford to remain disengaged and apathetic in this historic election.