As the first week of 2016 unfolded, pro-lifers anxiously awaited the vote in the House of Representatives to defund Planned Parenthood. Just prior to Christmas, the United States Senate passed a bill that did two things:
1. It put a one-year moratorium on any Medicaid funds going to Planned Parenthood. This amounts to Planned Parenthood losing about $425 million of its $550 million in taxpayer money.
2. It repealed several provisions of the Affordable Care Act. These changes would have severely impacted what we know as Obamacare.
The bill then went to the House to get the approval of the representatives there.
On Wednesday, the House passed the bill. This meant that, for the first time in history, both the House and the Senate had agreed on bills significantly defunding Planned Parenthood—a great victory for the opponents of PP.
The bill was then sent to the White House for action by the president.
On Friday, the president vetoed the bill. This was not unexpected as President Obama has been steadfast in his support of Planned Parenthood. This is due, in part, to PP’s spending of millions of dollars to help Obama get elected in 2008 and then reelected in 2012.
What happens next?
The Constitution provides that a bill or joint resolution that has been vetoed by the president can become law if two-thirds of the members voting in the House and the Senate each agree to pass it over the president’s objection. The House has already scheduled an override vote for January 25. It is very unlikely that the House will find enough votes to override the veto, but this should be a time for prayer that God’s will be done.