Vice President Mike Pence Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders:

 Mike Pence Breaks Senate Tie
To Allow States To Defund Planned Parenthood
By Laura Bassett

Today [Thursday] Republicans continued their relentless war on women’s health. Despite opposition from two Republican senators and all Democrats, the Senate Republicans with the help of Vice President Mike Pence gave states the ability to defund family care provides like Planned Parenthood if they want to. Let’s be clear. This is not about protecting women’s health care. This will punish low-income women who depend on family planning providers for basic reproductive health services. Not only is this cruel but it is impractical. Our job is to keep fighting back against all attacks on women’s health.

Ironically, on Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to receive The Independent Womens’ Forum’s Working for Women Award. However, Pence said due to current events and scheduling that he would not be able to attend the reception and ceremony. The award will be presented at a later time. He is being honored for bettering women’s economic rights.

The announcement drew harsh criticism from the ACLU and other progressive organizations. “As governor of Indiana, Pence signed into law some of the country’s strictest anti-abortion measures, and as a member of Congress, he repeatedly voted against federal equal-pay bills. He also drew national attention to his state over a religious-freedom law that many interpreted as anti-gay, leading to a backlash among major corporations and some prominent Republicans.

“An initial news release about the event said that the "Working for Women" award ‘recognizes an individual who values free markets, works to create a more dynamic and innovative work world, and celebrates the valuable contributions women make to society.’”

On Thursday, Pence cast the tie-breaking vote overturning an Obama administration rule that now will allow states to withhold Title X family planning money from Planned Parenthood.

"California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom sounded off on Facebook after Republican legislation letting states deny federal family planning money to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers squeezed narrowly through the Senate on Thursday. The legislation was rescued by an ailing GOP senator who returned to the Capitol after back surgery and a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Mike Pence."

In a Facebook post, Gavin Newsom commented:

Yesterday: Pence led a forum on empowering women

Today: Pence led a group of males in a vote to strip access to birth control &cancer screenings.

The hypocrisy is astounding.

(Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Newsom shreds Pence over vote to block Planned Parenthood money