Defunding Planned Parenthood: Rejoice in Sobriety, Ready Ourselves for Battle

We must understand the three key battlegrounds that lie ahead of us.

Major news sources are already discounting this vote due to the fact that the Senate version of the Continuing Resolution will certainly include funds for Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood's victory is by no means assured, due to the legislative process that lies ahead. We can prevail - and Defund Planned Parenthood in this Continuing Resolution - but we must understand the three key battlegrounds that lie ahead of us.

P>WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - I, like all other pro-life leaders and advocates, am happy that HR 217 - which would result in defunding Planned Parenthood - has passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 240 - 185.

The bill - sponsored by Michael Pence - is a great first legislative step, but we must understand; it is only a first step.

First of all, I urge you to read the bill by going here. Unfortunately, it does not deny funding to hospitals that kill unborn babies; just freestanding "clinics."  Hence, the bill is clearly targeting Planned Parenthood and other similar organizations, and leaving the fight over hospitals for another day. That said, I will rejoice if the goal of the bill is reached: denying Planned Parenthood anymore of our federal dollars.

Major news sources are already discounting this vote due to the fact that the Senate version of the Continuing Resolution will certainly include funds for Planned Parenthood.

For example, AP reported: "The Democratic-run Senate has stronger abortion rights views than does the House, making it unlikely the House proposal will survive." MSNBC stated: "It is very unlikely that the measure would pass the Democratic-controlled Senate."

Unfortunately, they are correct. In other words, Fridays "victory" has the potential to only be symbolic - such as the recent House vote to overturn "ObamaCare" - in which House members knew that the bill would die in the Senate.  In similar fashion, the powers that be are betting that Planned Parenthood will continue to receive federal funds when the legislative dust has settled.

However, Planned Parenthood's victory is by no means assured, due to the legislative process that lies ahead. We can prevail - and Defund Planned Parenthood in this Continuing Resolution - but we must understand the three key battlegrounds that lie ahead of us.

If we prevail on any one of these three fronts, Planned Parenthood will be defunded in the current Continuing Resolution.

First, we can demand that our US Senators do not provide funds for Planned Parenthood in their version of the Continuing Resolution. This is a long shot, but is a fight worth fighting. We must focus on "pro-life" Democrats such as Sen. Nelson from Nebraska and Sen. Casey from Pennsylvania. Even if we lose in the Senate - which we likely will - we can use this as a "teaching moment" to expose the horrors of Planned Parenthood, and the warped ethics of certain Senators that support them.

The second field of battle - and by far the most efficient, and the most likely to actually defund Planned Parenthood - will be in the "Conference Committee." For those who do not understand the process, a quick education is in order.

In most federal legislation, the exact wording of the House version of a bill and the exact wording of the Senate version of a bill are different. For the President to sign any bill into law, the wording from the House and the Senate versions of a given bill must be exactly the same.

So, in order to iron out the differences in the legislative language of bills that pass both Chambers of Congress (the House and the Senate), a "Conference Committee" is appointed - with members of both chambers - to negotiate and compromise on the final language of a bill to be presented to the President. After the language is made identical, the bill is sent back to both chambers for another (final) vote. Then the bill goes to the President to be signed into law, or vetoed.

This will be the case for the current Continuing Resolution. For the Continuing Resolution to be signed into law - and thereby continue funding the federal government (and perhaps defund Planned Parenthood in the process) - every single word must be the same.

Now, back to defunding Planned Parenthood. The most likely place for victory is in the Conference Committee. If the House conferees will simply hold the line; if they refuse any "compromise" that reinstates Planned Parenthood funding; if they demand that Planned Parenthood funding be dropped from the Senate version of the bill, victory will be ours.

But for this to occur, Speaker Boehner - and any other House leaders involved in selecting the House conferees - must select men and women who will commit ahead of time that they will not make a "deal with the devil" in a "smoke-filled back room;" but rather, they will commit ahead of time to defund Planned Parenthood.

For such a victory to happen in the Conference Committee, it will require a simple act of the will by the House leadership; nothing more, nothing less. If a bill comes out of committee that funds Planned Parenthood, those who have the unassailable power to prevail in this fight will have betrayed us.

But even then, all is not lost. There is a third chance at victory. However, that final opportunity for triumph would be very messy.

Namely, a group of Republican House members - probably 30 to 35 would do the trick - must inform Speaker Boehner that they will not vote for any final bill that comes out of the conference committee if that bill restores funding to Planned Parenthood.

In other words - and these are the words that will be hurled against them for their courageous stand - they must "hold the budget hostage," rather than see money go to the nation's largest consortium of child killers by abortion.

Such an act will require substantial courage, as well as the expenditure of significant "political capital" on the part of those members of the House. Moreover, it will take leadership and cohesion of vision from those members to stand against their own party.

Our pro-life team has spoken to various members and their staffs, asking them to "die on this hill" for the sake of the babies. So far, there is interest in some members, fear in others. At this point, no-one has emerged who has publically stated that they will use their political currency - and risk offending their Party Leaders - by leading a battle to ensure that Planned Parenthood is defunded.

This is where you and I come in.

First, we must contact Speaker Boehner, and politely yet firmly insist that he only appoint House conferees that will keep in place HR 217.

Next, we must clearly tell the pro-life leaders in the House - Mike Pence, Trent Franks, Steve King, Chris Smith, Michelle Bachmann, (and the many others who recently gave speeches at the March for Life) - that we expect them to lead this fight for the babies against Planned Parenthood. They must be steeled to the conflict before them, ready to endure the onslaught of criticism and bad press they will surely get if they do the right thing. We must let them know we will "protect their backs," and defend them in the public square.

Furthermore, we must remind the pro-life freshman (before they are jaded) that their duty is to fear and honor God, and to protect life with their votes. They are in congress to fight for justice, not to do the bidding of the GOP leadership; they were elected to represent their constituents, not the interests of Republican leaders who may not want a messy political brawl.

In conclusion, let us rejoice with sobriety. The passage of HR 217 is a critical first step, but that is all it is. The big battles are yet ahead. And we must be ready to use every ethical political weapon in our arsenal to insure victory in our battle to defund Planned Parenthood in this Continuing Resolution, and then in next year's budget battle.

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Mr. Terry is the host of a daily TV Show (www.RandallTerry.com) and candidate for President in a Democrat Primary (www.TerryForPresident.com)

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