House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said a provision cutting Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding will be included in the budget reconciliation legislation repealing Obamacare.
“The Planned Parenthood legislation would be in our reconciliation bill,” Mr. Ryan said in his weekly press briefing on Thursday.
Congress passed similar legislation last year stripping Planned Parenthood of more than a half billion dollars in federal funding and redirecting those dollars toward women’s health care clinics that do not perform abortions.
That bill, which was vetoed by President Obama, came in the wake of an undercover video investigation alleging the nation’s largest abortion provider profits off of fetal tissue from abortions.
President-elect Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail to defund the abortion behemoth.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, praised Mr. Ryan vowing to take Planned Parenthood off of the taxpayer dole.
SEE ALSO: Nancy Pelosi, allies prep for war over Obamacare, Planned Parenthood
“Today’s commitment by Speaker Ryan to re-direct the abortion giant’s taxpayer funding to community health centers is a victory for women’s health care,” Ms. Dannenfelser said in a statement. “Community health centers provide far more services than Planned Parenthood and outnumber them 20 to 1 nationwide. We commend Speaker Paul Ryan on his continued resolve to fund women’s health care, not abortion.”
Planned Parenthood received $553 million in taxpayer funding last year, the bulk of which came in the form of federal Medicaid reimbursements.
• Bradford Richardson can be reached at brichardson@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.