(Washington) – Congress on Wednesday avoided a government shutdown by passing a bill that keeps the government running through mid-December. An attempt by some conservative Republicans to leverage their votes on the measure to force defunding of Planned Parenthood failed.
Georgia’s 9th District Congressman Doug Collins was among those who voted against H.R. 719 because it did not contain a specific prohibition against federal funding of Planned Parenthood.
After the vote Collins issued the following statement:
“I will not go against my belief in the sanctity of life and support a funding measure that does not contain a specific prohibition against federal funding of Planned Parenthood. I do not trust HHS or any government agency to respect Congressional intent when it comes to an issue as foundational to our moral fabric as life.
Our very humanity and sense of dignity as individuals and as a nation has been called into question by the recent revelations about Planned Parenthood. To not specifically cut off all avenues of funding for an organization that reduces the bodies of unborn babies to marketable “tissue samples” should cause every person, young and old, to pause and grieve.
The responsibility of government should be to protect life. Today, I’m afraid we lost sight of that goal in an effort to avoid a temporary shutdown.” He also said, shutting down the government has a temporary, devastating impact on American families, but Planned Parenthood has ripped apart and sold our next generation.”
Congress now faces a new Dec. 11 deadline to try to strike a long-term budget deal
