U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, voted in favor of moving forward with a bill to redirect federal funding for Planned Parenthood to alternative programs that support women’s health.
Although the measure, S. 1881, received a majority of the votes in the Senate, it did not garner the necessary 60 votes to advance. Wicker is a cosponsor of the legislation, which is authored by Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
“The complete lack of compassion shown by Planned Parenthood executives in recent videos is appalling,” Wicker said. “Taxpayers should not be on the hook for funding this organization any longer. Although the Senate was unable to move forward on the bill, I remain committed to fighting for the rights of the unborn and shielding taxpayers from supporting these vile practices.”
The legislation would redirect more than $500 million in federal funding away from Planned Parenthood to other state and local health departments, community health centers, and hospitals specifically for women’s health care services. These services would include diagnostic laboratory and radiology services, well-child care, prenatal and postnatal care, immunizations, and cervical and breast cancer screenings.
Senator Wicker was among a group of 49 Senators who signed a letter last month to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell seeking an internal review of Planned Parenthood’s compliance with laws and regulations related to fetal tissue and partial-birth abortions.
