U.S. Senate votes against legislation which would defund Planned Parenthood

In a 56-44 vote, the U.S. Senate voted against the House budget bill which includes the Pence Amendment. The Pence Amendment passed the House and would strip Planned Parenthood and its affiliates of federal funding.

The Senate voted on H.R. 1, the long-term Continuing Resolution the House approved in February that contains the Pence Amendment and pro-life riders that reinstates the Mexico City Policy, stops abortion funding in the District of Columbia, and de-funds the pro-abortion UNFPA, which works hand-in-hand with Chinese population control officials who use forced abortions to enforce the one-child policy.

All of the Democrats voted against the pro-life version of the budget bill, but strongly conservative Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, and Rand Paul of Kentucky joining them. Because major national pro-life groups heavily lobbied the vote, the three may seen as going against the wishes of the pro-life community and their votes may hurt their standing in their home states with pro-life voters.

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