The House of Representatives Friday passed a measure to end federal funding for abortion provider Planned Parenthood a day after Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., brought the chamber to stunned silence after describing her own personal experience with abortion.
Friday afternoon, the House passed the amendment by a vote of 240-185 with one member voting present. The House must still vote for final passage on the underlying spending bill before the cuts head to the Senate for a possible vote later this month.
I’m not an expert on US federal law-making, and I’d be grateful if someone who knows better than I do (which wouldn’t narrow the field much) would explain and/or correct me if I’m wrong. Send me an email or write in the comments. My impression is that this measure will not go through, but I could be wrong. Still, I like the fact that politicians in the House of Representatives are not only willing to debate the issue, but to vote on it as well. And the sky didn’t fall on their heads. Canadian politicians: are you watching?