Alexandra DeSanctis:
While campaigning in Florida on Tuesday, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine attacked congressional Republicans for failing to pass a funding bill that would have directed $1.1 billion toward research to treat and prevent the Zika virus.
According to the Orlando Sentinel:
Kaine . . . called for federal action on fighting the Zika virus, which officials on Monday said had reached South Florida via mosquitoes.
Kaine said Congress should pass a $1.1 billion bill to combat Zika without what he called the “poison pill” of anti-abortion language added by House Republicans.
“Congress should not be in recess when Zika is advancing,” he said.
In reality, it was Senate Democrats who refused to pass the bill, and there’s no “poison pill” to be found anywhere inside it. Instead, the Democratic leadership is balking because the bill does not specifically earmark a portion of funding for Planned Parenthood.
While most of the funding outlined in the bill would go to mosquito prevention and vaccine research, a small segment is dedicated to public-health efforts. According to Don Stewart, deputy chief of staff for Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democrats chose to block the entire bill because none of this small portion was earmarked for Planned Parenthood.
“The conference committee increased health-care block-grant funding and provided guidance on who could receive the funding,” Stewart tells National Review. “Planned Parenthood was not listed as a potential recipient, and Democrats want them to be explicitly listed as a recipient — even though the president’s initial request didn’t ask for any.”
Senate Democratic leaders Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer held a press conference attempting to explain their decision shortly after leading an effort to kill the bill.
Reid claimed that women would have nowhere to go to obtain birth control under the bill, but, in fact, nothing in the legislation would cut any federal funding currently going to Planned Parenthood. It simply does not add more funding in the context of treating Zika.
Planned Parenthood’s executive director, Dawn Laguens, spoke alongside Reid and Schumer, implying that it is more important for Planned Parenthood to receive direct funding under the bill than it is to pass a bill quickly.
A letter from Planned Parenthood to the Senate offices prior to the most recent vote stated that “a vote against this bill will be seen as a vote for women’s health care.” But a vote against the bill is actually vote against women’s health care, particularly if the women in question have contracted the Zika virus. And, even from the perspective of Senate Democrats, there is no rational objection to the bill given that Planned Parenthood still would receive as much federal funding as it did before the Zika virus became an issue.
Perhaps the Democrats look at it like they are killing babies either way.
Democrats assume that they can block this, see people get sick, babies harmed, and successfully blame it, with the usual help of the complicit corrupt media, on Republicans. History tells us they probably assume correctly.
Harry’s never even been inside a Planned Parenthood!
You go in there and ask for free birth control and they hand you a list of other places you can go to get such.
Sure, they will give you ”free” birth control IF you spend money on tests and/or procedures, but NOT if you just walk in and only want that one thing.
Allow even more kids to die to fiance a bunch baby killers founded by a racsist
Curt, doing any cherry picking lately?
Kinda left out how Republicans inserted a provision cutting $540 million for ACA along with stripping a House provision banning flying of the Confederate battle flag in federal cemeteries and also slashing the EPA didn’t ya?
This is the very same McConnell crash and burn legislation that brought us the shut down and lowered our credit rating. It’s what brought such gridlock and dysfunction to our Congress. Take any bill and add provisions that you know full well the opposition party will not and cannot accept and then blame them for the bill’s failure.
Granted, this game of chicken has been played for years by both parties but I’ve never seen such blatant head on mad elephant refusal to blink before- regardless of life or death.
Obviously for Republicans, political posturing and gain comes before American mothers, babies and families.
@Ajay42302: So, all of that stupid crap is more important than protecting people from Zika? Oh, that’s right… all you liberals care about is who they can blame.
@Bill:
Short and sweet yet oh so stupid. It’s like every time I read one of your responses, I get the urge to go and wash the stupid off.
For starters, kicking 20 million people off of insurance (or a good start to that objective), to “go home and die” somewhat defeats whatever nonsensical point you’re trying to make with “more important than protecting people from Zika”. Defunding a program which saves an estimated 900,000 a year does as well.
From your very own silliness, why wouldn’t Republican’s demands on the confederate flag fall in that “stupid crap is more important than protecting people” argument? Wouldn’t demanding to wave a confederate flag fall more in line with that “stupid crap” that they themselves consider “more important than protecting people from Zika”?
I’m not sure if you’re intentionally ignorant, grossly dishonest, or just profoundly stupid and I could go on picking your argument apart but that would only give you more ammo to spin and respond with more stupidity.
@Ajay42302: I thought you Obama-whores liked to kick people off their insurance? You used to, and Gruber, who described YOU to a tee predicted you would.
But anyway, no one would be “kicked off” though millions are about to loose theirs when Aetna bails out of Abysmalcare.
It was the stupid, decisive Democrats picking the stupid, decisive fight over a flag, moron. Go tell your cry-baby bitches to authorize the money.
@Bill:
Thanks for again proving my accusations of you.
That made me chuckle.
So this armed robber walks up to a man on the street and says “give me your wallet or I’ll have to shoot you and then you will be guilty of murder”.
@Ajay42302: Why are you too cowardly to answer a question or address a fact?
Zika has become a sexually transmitted disease. A main focus of Planned Parenthood is to educate women concerning sexually transmitted diseases, and to provide access to condoms that protect both from unwanted pregnancies and a variety of sexually transmitted diseases.
Family planning education and contraceptives provided by Planned Parenthood in areas where such women’s health services are otherwise much harder to access actually reduce both the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, AND the rate of abortion.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that there are fewer abortions when there are fewer unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. No one has ever accused republican lawmakers of being geniuses, however.
They predictably ran needed Zika legislation that should have and would have passed quickly with strong bipartisan support off the rails by incorporating language to cut Planned Parenthood funding.
There’s a misconception that Republicans are pro-life. They are not. Anti-abortion? Yes. Pro-life? Not even close.
@Greg: The main focus of Planned Parenthood is abortions. It’s their cash cow and why they need a nickel of federal funds for their very lucrative enterprise is a mystery, especially since they will allow no independent audits of their business.
@Bill, #12:
Per NPR’s fact check:
Refer also to page 29 of Planned Parenthood’s 2014-2015 Annual Report.
Federal dollars primarily pay for the above services. It is unlawful for federal tax dollars received by Planned Parenthood to be used to pay for abortion services, other than in cases of rape or incest, or in cases where the continuing pregnancy represents a physical threat to the life of the woman undergoing the procedure. The Hyde Amendment has forbidden federal funding of routine abortions for the past 30 years.
That is a fact—a concept that those who would deny American women sovereign control over their own bodies and their own reproductive functions are largely unfamiliar with and/or totally indifferent to.
@Greg:
We know the way Planned Parenthood boosts those false numbers is by counting each different conversation about treatment as a separate service. So, if they talk to one patient about a possible abortion, that’s one. If they then talk to the same person about birth control, that’s two. Then, if them hand them a brochure on STD’s, that’s three. But they love to push abortions because they get big money from the abortion industry.
Cmon, Greg. We’ve been through this a hundred times. If you are selling abortions and handing out brochures under the same roof, with the same utilities, rent, insurance and maintenance, how do you separate the abortion industry from the brochure business? Also, Obamacare is being twisted to support abortions. Try again, Greg.
Abortion stats; 1.2 million per year
http://www.all.org/nav/index/heading/OQ/cat/MzQ/id/NjA3OQ/
1 adaption reference for every 149 abortions
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-boland/planned-parenthood-did-1-adoption-referral-149-abortions
Planned Parenthood, the profitable non-profit; 1/3 of revenues come from abortion
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/223livny.asp?page=3#
Perhaps this is why Democrats are so concerned about contributions to Planned Parenthood.
While Planned Parenthood receives taxpayer subsidies, they hand out millions in campaign contributions to… you guessed it… Democrats.
http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/planned-parenthood/a3bf2b2a33a84534a706a2d04c52de95
Planned Parenthood abortions and government subsidies at all-time high, other services drop
http://washingtonexaminer.com/planned-parenthood-reports-record-year-for-abortions/article/2517801#.UOs82UbCz8A
Do I get the sovereign control of life or death over anyone? Why not?
@Greg:
Curt throws out the innuendo of Dems being to blame and Bill supports it with blatant lies.
PP abortions account for about 3% of their business, none of which is federally funded. If someone wants an abortion, they have to pay for it out of pocket which means that defunding PP solves nothing in the fight against abortion. These very same people simply go to someone else as they have the funds anyway.
This once again proves that Republicans really have no interest in preventing or solving abortion problems but build a smoke screen to fool voters. They again, don’t care how many women will ultimately die in their political posturing game.
@Ajay42302:
Well, stupid, who is it that is blocking the vote? That would be who is holding up the show.
Here, I will repeat this one, because you are far too afraid to look at it above. The reason Democrats love to give taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood is that Planned Parenthood turns around and gives some of it back to Democrats.
While Planned Parenthood receives taxpayer subsidies, they hand out millions in campaign contributions to… you guessed it… Democrats.
http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/planned-parenthood/a3bf2b2a33a84534a706a2d04c52de95
Maybe if Planned Parenthood would use all their funds to provide the help they claim to be interested in, they would not need any public funds. You can bet that if they were not paying off Democrats, THEY would not give one damn about Planned Parenthood.
@Bill:
You once again make a claim that is just grossly wrong, once again demonstrating your ignorance or dishonesty, proving that reality has no place in your world and that you are no more than a babbling boot licking troll.
PP cannot and does not take federal funds to use for campaign contributions. Campaign contributions are acquired through PACs.
PP supports Dems who help them save lives rather than Rs who want to shut them down. Wow Einstein, imagine that!
You know, your very rebuttal further validates my claim that Rs would rather see American citizens die a slow agonizing death than to sacrifice a political edge or photo op-that they would intentionally send women home to die of cancer because PP supports the Democratic Party.
Keep digging my fuzzy little friend.
The Donald has always been a supporter of P.P. He’s pretty much a social Lib. which will help him in the G.E–His support of Gay Rights evident at Repub. Convention. Ivanka. a social Lib and probably his most important advisor–if he wants to get elected–will guide him.
I note he took my advice to immediately endorse Ryan, Mac and Ayotte. Good move–now that wasn’t so hard was it Donald?
Rich Wheeler
@Ajay42302:
No, it is not and, as usual, I proved it as fact. So, why don’t you go somewhere else and be stupid and cowardly?
@Bill:
4 points my fuzzy little friend:
1) Yes, you did.
2) It’s very very rare (rarer than a black guy at a Republican convention) that you ever prove anything.
3) Your so-called proof is a broken link (it doesn’t work) and I doubt very seriously that you can provide proof that PP used federal funds to finance political campaigns ( and if you did, why aren’t eager young prosecutors jumping on it?).
4) You follow the usual pattern of one spectacularly defeated in their arguments with your “why don’t you go somewhere else?” whining. It happens all the time and I really understand your embarrassment. I suspect your next line of defense will be something like “moderators, make him leave me alone, WHAAAAAAAAA!!!”.
@Bill, #14:
The way the people veer off the topic of a Zika response to to their fixation on ending every woman’s fundamental right to sovereign control of her own body pretty much explains and reflects what the nitwits you’ve sent to Congress did with desperately needed Zika funding legislation.
You’re ultimately going to lose this battle at the polling places, because women are going to get tired of putting up with the right’s fundamentally unconstitutional bullshit. The State has no damn business intruding into this most personal area of a woman’s life. It has no damn business making laws that enforce a particular religiously-informed view that isn’t shared by all citizens, or even by all religious citizens. Women have had an individual right to choose in accordance with the dictates of their own conscience for the past 43 years, and they’re not going to let you roll back the clock to the days of back-street abortionists.
You may choose as you wish. That ability is the essence of personal freedom. You may not impose your will on others, denying them their own choices. That is the essence of oppression.
@Ajay42302: @Greg:
The bottom line, to both you and the moronic idiot AJ, is that the Democrats are blocking the bill to fund protections from the Zika virus. The Democrats. It can’t be blamed on Republicans, attacks on Planned Parenthood or anything else. The Democrats merely want an issue to use in campaign adds and they have created this one. They see it as no risk to them, as the media always reinforces their position.
Too bad you can’t open the link, AJ, the lying coward. Otherwise you would see that while Planned Parenthood takes in taxpayer money, they turn around and make hefty contributions to the Democrats. So, while they do not take the check they get from the government, endorse it and hand it over to the DNC, the taxpayer money frees up funds to be turned into contributions that they would not have had if we taxpayers had not funded their abortion operations.
Pity you are simply too stupid (or dishonest) to see this.
But, since you are too cowardly to research to see if something you WANT to deny is indeed true (which is what I do, so I don’t look like an ignorant ass) here is more information, should you show the courage to look at it.
As opposed to the lying accusations of the left of the NRA, Planned Parenthood lobbies Washington and actually kills people. But, the left does not concern itself with that fact.
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00314617&cycle=2008
Thanks for letting me know that the link was broken. It led me to find more information that reinforces my valid point.
@Bill: PP uses money out of its total budget to donate to these Dems.
A portion of PP money is government taxpayer cash given to them by Dems in Admin and Congress.
Money is FUNGIBLE in that you cannot claim NO Gov’t taxpayer cash goes to these political campaigns.
It is proportional and a proportion of it is ALWAYS gov’t taxpayer cash.
Besides the individuals, PP also has a PAC.
It donates to PACs, all of them Democrat PACs .
See:
https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pac2pac.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C00314617
When taxpayer cash is funneled to PP by Obama and Dems it is just a slush fund for Dems to suck from as needed.
The best thing for Zika infected women of child-bearing age is:
1. Use condoms 100% of the time.
2. And let someone else have babies, as you got a disqualifying disease.
CA has already got 2 brain-damaged babies due to Zika.
The related costs are enormous.
@Nanny G: Seems pretty simple and straightforward, doesn’t it? Some are far too addicted to their ideology to evaluate it.
@Bill, #22:
I might believe such a story, if I weren’t smart enough to have noticed that the Zika response bill sprouted an unnecessary Planned Parenthood provision. There were apparently concerns Planned Parenthood might point out that condoms are effective protection against a number of sexually transmittable diseases—such as Zika. Or maybe they’re worried that pregnancies might be terminated because some women decide it isn’t right to continue those that will likely lead to the birth of a child with microcephaly and profound mental retardation. That, of course, would be an evil and unallowable exercise of the right to decide according to the dictates of one’s own beliefs and conscience, rather than in accordance with the dictates of some fundamentalist right-wing preacher.
The entire argument ignores the fact that the Hatch Act prevents federal money from paying for an abortion in such a case. But never mind that irrelevant detail.
Somebody really ought to do a study of the total lie content of right-wing media output. It seems like it might sometimes be running between 80 and 90 percent. Of course we’d get into that issue of methodology you raised earlier: Should lies that are continuously repeated be counted every time they appear, or should they only count as a single lie no matter how many times they’re stated?
@Greg: Against the law? This administration has demonstrated it doesn’t care what laws say and Hillary shows it pays to break the law. Why should we expect the Hatch Act to prevent liberals from funneling money to fund abortions? Laws USED to mean something… not in the Obama administration.
No, it has not demonstrated it doesn’t care what laws say, except inside the fantasy world of the right-wing propaganda bubble.
@Greg: Well, I am afraid it has.
Laws are for little people
15 important points
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/james-comey-testimony-clinton-email-225224
Hillary destroyed schedules
http://nypost.com/2016/07/04/huma-abedin-admits-that-clinton-burned-daily-schedules/
Hillary was “careless”… 110 times
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/fbi-recommends-no-charges-against-clinton-in-email-probe-225102
FBI: Hillary lied… A LOT
http://www.bigstory.ap.org/article/588c1ba16f51484e8e0010b12b9e8b28/ap-fact-check-clinton-email-claims-collapse-under-fbi-probe
Before Hillary, breach of secrecy was punished
https://theintercept.com/2016/07/05/washington-has-been-obsessed-with-punishing-secrecy-violations-until-hillary-clinton/
Obama illegally using IRS tax refunds to pay for Obamacare subsidies
http://legalinsurrection.com/2015/06/obama-admin-accused-of-illegally-using-tax-refund-money-to-fund-obamacare-program/
Obama reveals illegal immigrants can apply for Obamacare and not have their background checked or verified
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/201076-obama-makes-o-care-pitch-to-hispanics-the?wwparam=1395332820
Obamacare granting subsidies through federal exchanges is being challenged as illegal; DOJ says law not to be taken “literally”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/04/obamacare-faces-another-challenge-in-federal-court/
Obama doesn’t get to write immigration law
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/06/23/supreme-court-blocks-obama-immigration-plan.html?intcmp=hpbt1
Obama instructs border agents to violate laws by asking illegal immigrants if they qualify for amnesty
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20150128/us–immigration_overload-a135fed8ce.html
Obama decides to violate the law again, releases illegal immigrant murderers, drunks and sex-criminals from jail
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/12/feds-released-hundreds-immigrant-murderers-drunken/#ixzz31hOdaMlZ
I read an amusing variation of this:
Found all over internet.
BTW, Hillary’s ”dead cat DNC bounce” is over.
Trump is now within the margin of error even on the most skewed polls.
@Nanny G: http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/08/07/clintons-lead-trump-narrows-less-three-points/
And for those who love to leap upon a narrow poll and begin cheering…
Some indications of a Trump victory
http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2016/08/07/gateway-punditsocial-media-patterns-show-trump-looking-landslide-victory/
@Nanny G: You’re fantasizing again. HRC UP 7% 47.5-40.5 in RCP largest lead since Dem Convention.
I ask again DT GOT 18 mill in primaries—needs 65 mill to win–where’s he gonna get em considering his #’s with women 33%–Latinos– 18% African Americans 8% and voters under 30–about 25%—His unfavorable at 64%. I realize he’s running against HRC BUT THAT’S NOT ENOUGH.
Clinton is now 7 points ahead of Trump in the RCP poll average, a gain of an additional point since last Friday. There’s always a margin of error involved, but that becomes less relevant when one candidate is ahead in virtually every individual survey.
The Trump campaign is in a tailspin, but it hasn’t burst into flames yet. They’d better start radioing a Mayday call to Wikileaks.
Marco Rubio: women with Zika should not be allowed abortions
Translation into real-world terms: We will protect human life to such a degree that we will empower the State to assure the birth of severely malformed, profoundly retarded human beings, whether the mother carrying a such a stricken fetus wishes to to continue her pregnancy or not.
How many votes, nationwide, do you suppose that astonishingly stupid position statement will be costing republicans? Watching the GOP this election cycle is like watching a train wreck in slow motion.
Well here is some surprising news!!! Color me shocked I never thought it possible. The GOP majority Congress has finally stopped getting an average approval rating in the teens which they have had for ever so long but they were finally able to break out of those teens.
And go even further down. RealClearPolitics now is reporting their average approval rating as 12%
WAY TO GO GOP !!!!!!
@john: Did you forget the Democrats are contributing mightily to that dismal evaluation? Of course you did; you always ignore the problem in favor of misguided blame.