The House of Representatives passed a bill that will defund Planned Parenthood for one-year and an anti-abortion bill Friday.
The a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/09/18/house-passes-planned-parenthood-defunding-and-anti-abortion-bills-but-will-they-help-avert-a-shutdown/>Washington Post reports that the Defund Planned Parenthood Act will impose a year long ban on federal funding for the group. The ban comes in response to undercover videos released by an activist group claiming the videos show evidence of violating multiple federal laws related to abortion procedures and the sales of fetal tissue for profit.
The organization has been under intense scrutiny in recent months since the release of the videos but claims no wrongdoing and says the footage was manipulated. Supporters of the bill say the ban will allow for a more thorough investigation and conservatives have threatened a government shutdown over Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood receives approximately $450 million yearly in federal payments and has nearly 700 clinics providing services such as sexual disease testing and contraceptives.
The second bill, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, would inflict criminal penalties on doctors who don’t try saving infants born alive during abortions.
According to a href= http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/09/18/house-bills-hit-planned-parenthood-some-abortion-doctors>US News the House passed the legislation by a 241-187 vote that fell along party lines but there is little chance it will be enacted.
According to multiple reports, President Obama is likely to veto both bills.
Image courtesy of William T Wade/INFphoto.com