Heritage urges ‘no’ votes on spending bill with Planned Parenthood funds

Heritage Action is urging lawmakers to oppose a government spending bill that continues funding for Planned Parenthood.

The conservative group said in a statement Wednesday that it would score lawmaker votes on the issue.

{mosads}“Heritage Action will oppose a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that continues funding of Planned Parenthood and will include it as a key vote on our legislative scorecard,” the group said.

With Democrats opposed to a spending bill blocking funds for Planned Parenthood over abortion, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is widely expected to release a “clean” spending measure that continues funding for the group.

First, the Senate will consider legislation on Thursday that would keep the government operating but block funds for Planned Parenthood. That bill is expected to fail on a procedural motion.

Once that procedural vote fails, McConnell could bring up the clean funding bill.

Heritage Action said Congress should use its “power of the purse” to withhold taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood and redirect those funds to healthcare clinics instead.

“The federal government should not be in the business of funding organizations that harvest and sell baby parts from aborted children,” the group said, referring to controversial videos that an anti-abortion-rights group, the Center for Medical Progress, has released over the last month or so.

“Instead of attempting to reassert Congress’s constitutional prerogatives, Republican leaders are engaged in a series of political show votes,” Heritage said in reference to Thursday’s vote.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has not yet announced support for a clean spending bill. Conservatives in his conference have demanded that Planned Parenthood be defunded and have threatened his Speakership.

Boehner will meet with leadership Thursday to discuss the strategy and the entire House GOP conference will meet behind closed doors on Friday morning.

The government will shut down on Oct. 1 without action by Congress.