Good News!

December 4, 2015

The defunding Planned Parenthood provision in the House budget reconciliation bill survived attempts to strip it during Senate amendment.   Mahalo to all of you who sent email and made phone calls to our Senators regarding this matter through our VoterVoice system.  Not surprisingly, both Schatz and Hirono voted against the bill.  (Read the letter Hawaii Family Forum signed onto with other national leaders).

Other good news:  Two attempts to strip out defunding language were defeated:

Our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom provided this quote in their press release… “The U.S. Senate was wise to recognize that taxpayer money should go to fund legitimate community health centers, not to subsidize a scandal-ridden, billion-dollar abortion profiteer. Hawaii taxpayers should not be forced to give tax money to Planned Parenthood, which has a long track record of abusive billing practices that were implicated in undercover videos trafficking aborted baby body parts and has repeatedly failed to report sexual abuse of young girls. Tax money should be redirected to trustworthy health care providers.”

We strongly agree and that is what this bill does; it not only defunds Planned Parenthood, but it redirects that Federal money to women’s health care organizations that provide far greater health benefits to women than Planned Parenthood ever provided, not just because they do not provide abortion, but rather because they offer far more services than planned parenthood does, and are more readily available then planned parenthood is. (#DefundPP)

The House will now vote on the Senate bill, and we expect it will pass. This will be the first time a bill to defund Planned Parenthood goes to the President’s desk.  The President has indicated he will veto the bill.

This is a historic win for the pro-life movement. Today marks an important milestone. We count it a blessing to work alongside each of you as we unite to protect LIFE, FAITH, FAMILY and RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

Eva Andrade
President, Hawaii Family Forum