TIMELINE: The #DefundPP Vote Will Be at 5:30 P.M. Monday. If It Passes, the President Will Quickly Veto It

TIMELINE: The #DefundPP Vote Will Be at 5:30 P.M. Monday. If It Passes, the President Will Quickly Veto It August 2, 2015

So it appears that Congress will vote this week to de-fund Planned Parenthood. Pro-abortion Democrats are planning a filibuster, which will require 60 votes–pretty unlikely, by all estimates. If the bill somehow escapes death by filibuster, then shortly, if not immediately, afterward, President Obama will veto that bill.

I participated in Friday’s #DefundPP Twitter storm–but so what? This Administration does not care what I think, they do not care what you think, they do not care what is legal, because…. Abortion.

US Capitol from NW

Poking around on first one website, then another, I’ve got the timeline fixed in my mind. Here it is, including the events which we’ve already watched unfold:

MONDAY, JULY 27 – Center for Medical Progress Releases Its Third Video

In case anyone believed the blustering Planned Parenthood denials which followed the CMP’s first two undercover videos, the group released its third brand-tarnishing video about Planned Parenthood on Monday.

In the wake of negative disclosures, Planned Parenthood engaged two major public relations firms to protect and strengthen their image. 

TUESDAY, JULY 28 – Sen. Joni Ernst Introduces De-Funding Bill

S.B. 1881, the bill to prohibit federal funding of Planned Parenthood, was introduced June 28 by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). The first co-sponsor was Senator Mitch McConnell.

A clarification here: The bill which was introduced by Senator Ernst DOES NOT take money from government programs which support “women’s health.” Rather, the bill reapplies the available funding–giving the money  instead to other entities which provide all the same services that Planned Parenthood does (and usually more), but which don’t perform abortions. So pro-abortion Democrats’ claims that this bill would “cut funding for women’s health” are not based in truth.

Also on Tuesday, the House Education and Workforce Committee questioned Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell regarding fetal parts trafficking. Secretary Burwell, whose previous work history included a decade as president of global development for the pro-abortion Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, seemed unprepared: She claimed that she had not seen the videos released by the Center for Medical Progress. She evaded a question as to whether she had had any conversation with Planned Parenthood officials regarding the topic of fetal tissue gathering and trafficking.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 – The Co-Sponsors

By Wednesday, 24 co-sponsors had signed on in support of de-funding the abortion giant. The co-sponsors (remember their names, because these guys want pro-life voters’ support!) are:  Senators John Barrasso (WY), Roy Blunt (MO), John Boozman (AR), Richard Burr (NC) Dan Coats (IN), Tom Cotton (AR) John Cornyn (TX), Ted Cruz (TX), Steve Daines (MT), Mike Enzi (WY), Deb Fischer (NE), James Inhofe (OK), Johnny Isakson (GA), Ron Johnson (WI), James Lankford (OK), John McCain (AZ) Mitch McConnell (KY), Jerry Moran (KS), Rand Paul (KY), David Perdue (GA), Pat Roberts (KS), Ben Sasse (NE), Tim Scott (SC), and John Thune (SD).

FRIDAY, JULY 31 – The Restraining Order

Judge William H. Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a temporary restraining order, preventing CMP from releasing any more of the videos which show Planned Parenthood’s deception and criminal activity. The restraining order enjoins Biomax Procurement Services LLC, the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), David Daleiden, and Troy Newman from releasing recordings and materials they obtained at Planned Parenthood offices, at educational meetings of the National Abortion Federation, or other locations, pending a hearing which is scheduled for Monday.

Apparently, the opinionated Judge Orrick favors abortion rights and wants to protect Planned Parenthood from scandal. In his ruling, the judge said:

I GRANT NAF’s Ex Parte Motion, pending a hearing on Monday, August 3. Based on the record before me, I find that NAF is likely to prevail on the merits of its claims, the balance of hardships tips in its favor, NAF would be likely to suffer irreparable injury, absent an ex parte temporary restraining order, in the form of harassment, intimidation, violence, invasion of privacy, and injury to reputation, and the requested relief is in the public interest.”

I’m puzzled as to why Judge Orrick, an Obama appointee who raised more than $230,000 for the President’s reelection campaign, didn’t recuse himself from this case.

MONDAY, AUGUST 3 – The Defunding Vote

On Monday, August 3, the Senate will vote on S.B. 1881.  Connie Marshner, writing over on LinkedIn, pinned the time of the vote to 5:30 p.m.

But pro-abortion Democrats, following in the footsteps of “Abortion Barbie,” the former Texas Senator Wendy Davis, are expected to filibuster the bill. LifeNews reports that a Democratic filibuster will force Senate Republicans to come up with 60 votes to invoke cloture and end debate on the pro-life measure. Because two Republicans have said they support Planned Parenthood funding and Democrats like Senator Bob Casey, who claims to be pro-life, are not willing to support the bill to de-fund Planned Parenthood, Democrats are expected to sustain their filibuster and prevent passage of the de-funding measure.

However, two Republicans have said that they support Planned Parenthood funding. And Democratic Senator Bob Casey, who says that he’s pro-life, will not break ranks with his party and support the de-funding bill. It appears unlikely, then, that the bill will have the 60 votes necessary to end the threatened filibuster.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Assuming the bill somehow passes despite the filibuster, it will arrive on the desk of President Obama. There, the bill will be unable to escape the President’s fabled pen and, quicker than you can say Jack Robinson, he’ll veto it. There will not be sufficient votes to override a Presidential veto.

But will he have the last word? No, because when millions of lives are at stake, the discussion will never end. Pro-lifers will never stop defending the innocent unborn.

Former Texas State Representative Rebecca Hamilton, my friend and fellow blogger at Patheos and now at the National Catholic Register, offers some insightful tips on what needs to happen next. Rebecca recommends tagging the de-funding legislation onto a bill which the President really needs, such as a trade bill or a treaty with Iran. You can read her full report here.

 

Image: By UpstateNYer (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons


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