Commentary

Many pro-Life leaders across the country bemoaned the recent Omnibus Spending bill enacted at the eleventh hour by Republicans in Congress to deal with yet one more “emergency”. The bill contained an appropriation to fund Planned Parenthood yet again.  And it failed to provide the conscience protections that congressional leaders had been dangling in front of pro-Life leaders for weeks as a kind of incentive to turn a blind eye to the on-going subsidies for the Abortion Industry.

So, here we are. Coming up fast on a year-and-a-half into the Trump presidency and Planned Parenthood is still raking in the taxpayer dough.  The GAO recently confirmed that this evil enterprise has received $1.5 billion in taxpayer money over the past three years.  This time next year it will be over $2 billion.

How is this possible? How does it continue – even though we have a president who has begged Congress to send him a defunding measure?

The key is the broken appropriation process.   For too long, pro-Life leaders and groups have given members of Congress a pass when they vote for these band-aid funding measures.  We have looked the other way on funding bills that contain funding for Planned Parenthood and have not held members accountable.  We have accepted the argument that it is no one’s fault; that these things must happen because the Democrats will shut down the government and hold pro-Life conservatives responsible.

If we want to end taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood, we must start scoring these funding bills and counting a vote for legislation like this Omnibus Bill as an anti-Life vote. Period.

So let us begin. Senators Risch and Crapo voted against this monstrosity.  Congressman Labrador voted against this on-going subsidy for Planned Parenthood and the rest of the waste contained therein.  But Idaho’s 2^nd District Congressman, Mike Simpson, supported it.  We at Idaho Chooses Life count that as an anti-Life vote.

And we urge our friends at National Right to Life to do the same.

Many conservatives are angry with the Congress and GOP leadership. Frustrated may be a better word. We sense a profound disconnect between the conservative principles and platforms which motivate many to donate, volunteer and support Republican candidates. On many levels, that frustration is justified.

However, it is also important not to miss what is happening in the nation’s capital. We are in the midst of an unprecedented battle for Life which has fairly raged for months. No doubt the scandalous videos released by the Center for Medical Progress are providing much of the jet fuel for this multi-faceted debate – but it is important to appreciate that we are blessed with a genuinely pro-Life Congress.

The Congress continues to take up pro-Life legislation at an amazing clip. The House has passed a Ban on Late Term Abortions, and voted to defund Planned Parenthood. The House has conducted multiple investigations into Planned Parenthood. It has approved legislation to add criminal penalties for violating the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. And it just passed a bill to empower states to deny Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

Now there is serious talk about appointing a Select Committee to delve deeper into the criminal enterprise which is Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

The U.S. Senate has also been very active on the Life issue. It has voted twice to deny public funding for Planned Parenthood. It has also considered legislation to end most abortions after 20 weeks’ gestation. Of course, passage of pro-Life legislation in the Senate is more problematic because Democrats have stood as a disciplined Legion of Death to filibuster each pro-Life bill brought to the floor for consideration. While that is frustrating, the effort and time devoted by a majority of the Senate to protecting Life must be acknowledged.

We are especially appreciative of the work and leadership being provided by Idaho’s delegation. From the jump, Congressman Labrador has staked out an aggressive position in support of ending our dark partnership with Planned Parenthood. But Congressman Simpson has been engaged as well, becoming a co-sponsor of the separate bill to defund Planned Parenthood.

Idaho’s two senators, Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, have been stellar. Just the other night, they were among the 17 brave souls who opposed a Continuing Resolution that would protect “business as usual”. They are standing tall on principle.

While there have been set-backs, the fight to defund Planned Parenthood is not over.

We are praying that a way can be found to use the Reconciliation process to get around the Senate Democrats’ fake filibuster; we would count it as a major victory to force the first Obama Veto of the new Republican Majority. That moment would help educate America about the dark radicalism of our current president.

If we have any complaints, it is with the Republican messaging over Planned Parenthood funding. This is a perpetual weakness in the Congressional Republican effort to help lead America to a better place. Of course, this fight to end our partnership with Planned Parenthood is about the evil they practice. But it is also about women’s health. We believe that a major theme in GOP messaging should be the disservice being done to women by encouraging them to seek their care from such an ideologically-driven organization. The money spent on reproductive health care should be spent at real health care facilities, where real doctors are present to offer a range of needed services to low income women. Women deserve better. And Congressional Republicans should be talking loudly about improving access to quality health care, and offering to increase funding for such programs.

But we don’t want our suggestions to get in the way of our deep gratitude for the energy and courage on display these past few weeks. May the Lord richly bless these men and women, particularly our Idaho delegation, for their kindness and leadership.