These Two GOP Senators Vow to OPPOSE Any Bill That Defunds Planned Parenthood

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), a top Democratic target who is up for reelection next year, insinuated that he will oppose a bill backed by Republican leadership to defund Planned Parenthood and stop it from receiving taxpayer funds.

“In other states tissue donation programs should be investigated but in Illinois there is no similar program,” Kirk said on Wednesday. “I do not plan to cut access to basic health care and contraception for women, the majority of whom have no other resources.”

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)  has also indicated opposition to the bill.

“I’m still looking at the bill, but if it is an immediate defunding of Planned Parenthood before we have more facts in, then I would likely oppose the amendment,” Collins told reporters Wednesday.

Most Senate Republicans are pressuring Democrats to support the bill following the release of three controversial undercover videos that expose Planned Parenthood executives candidly discussing and arranging the sale of body parts of aborted babies have incited outrage. The most recent video released Thursday, the fourth of the undercover videos, reveals Planned Parenthood’s vice president discussing how the organization can break or get around the law to sell aborted babies.

Supporters of the bill argue that the money that is currently allocated to Planned Parenthood would be redistributed to other organizations, so there would be no overall cut in funding for women’s health services.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) stated that the Senate will vote on this legislation before departing for an extended state work period next month.

“We introduced legislation last night that would ensure taxpayer dollars for women’s health are spent on women’s health, not a scandal-plagued political lobbying giant,” McConnell said Wednesday.

“It’s a simple choice,” he added. “Senators can either vote to protect women’s health, or they can vote to protect subsidies for a political group mired in scandal.”