On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate on legislation that will allow states to block federal grants from going to abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood.
A simple majority was needed to advance the legislation, but two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, voted against it, forcing Pence to cast the tie-breaking vote.
It will now go to President Trump’s desk, who promised to end federal funding to Planned Parenthood during the campaign.
It was my honor to break tie vote in Senate overturning last minute Obama rule & restoring state control over Title X family planning funds. pic.twitter.com/jebspF3F3K
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) March 30, 2017
The legislation served to overturn a last minute rule implemented by the Obama administration that prevents states from blocking grants from going to organizations that preform abortions.
From The Washington Examiner:
The resolution was written under the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to overturn recent regulations. Their target is a rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that prohibits states from denying Title X funding to abortion providers.
In February, the House voted 230-188 to overturn the regulation, and Senate passage would send the bill on to President Trump’s desk to sign.
The Obama administration issued the rule because it wanted to ensure that states were allowed to direct the family-planning federal grants to county health departments, community health centers and other providers that perform abortions, including Planned Parenthood.
Republicans in Congress have tried to block federal money from going to Planned Parenthood and others that perform abortions. The CRA bill would allow states to decide whether to prevent federal money from going to abortion providers.
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