Rand Paul Blasts GOP Leaders for Trying to Kill His Amendment to Defund Planned Parenthood

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul accused GOP Senate leaders of paying only “lip service” to the pro-life base of their Party when they attempted to block his amendment to defund Planned Parenthood.

Paul ultimately won the battle and the Senate voted on his amendment to block taxpayer funds from the abortion industry giant, although Senate Republicans still failed to pass it.

Paul had introduced the amendment to a Senate appropriations package, but, on Thursday, he charged GOP leaders with failing to make good on their commitment to the unborn when they quickly filled the last open slot in an “amendment tree” with a placeholder amendment in order to block Paul’s provision.

“The dirty little secret is the Republican leadership is blocking my amendment,” Paul charged on the floor of the Senate, adding, “What is more important to these Republicans? Saving lives or spending money?”

My amendment would end funding to Planned Parenthood, but it is being blocked by… Republicans. pic.twitter.com/7pSE5OgOlV

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 23, 2018

Big-spending Republicans fear that blocking funding for Planned Parenthood would derail their plans to greatly expand the welfare-warfare state. pic.twitter.com/ddKN6RjjgX

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 23, 2018

Paul’s amendment would have prohibited groups that perform or fund most abortions from receiving taxpayer monies from the Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

“Planned Parenthood ends the lives of 320,000 babies each year. That’s about 900 babies every day,” Paul said in his speech, adding:

Planned Parenthood receives over $400 million of taxpayer money. The government with the wink and a nod tells us that Planned Parenthood doesn’t spend the money on abortions. But everybody knows that the taxpayers really cross subsidizing Planned Parenthood’s abortion bills.

The senator rebuked Republicans for their hypocrisy.

“Everybody knows Democrats love abortion and Planned Parenthood more than life itself,” Paul said. “But Republicans? Many voters think the Republicans actually care about the unborn … the truth is that Republican leadership favors bloated government spending more than they care about Planned Parenthood.”

The Kentucky Republican ultimately demanded unanimous consent to hold a vote on his amendment. GOP leadership yielded and the amendment was voted upon, but it failed in a 45-48 vote with a 60-vote threshold. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted with Democrats against the amendment.

“Unfortunately, many Senators who claim to be pro-life defied their constituents and the consensus of the American public by giving the abortion industry a pass,” said Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life, in a statement sent to Breitbart News.

“Almost two-thirds of Americans say they do not want to fund abortion with their tax dollars,” Mancini added. “Disentangling American taxpayers from the abortion industry is long overdue. Our elected representatives should join the national consensus and put an end to taxpayer funding of abortion, or risk being voted out of office.”