Aderholt Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood, Calls on Senate to Change Rules

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) today released the following statement in regard to his vote to defund Planned Parenthood. The Congressman is also calling on the Senate to change its rules to allow the democratic process to go forward.

"Today I voted to prevent taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood, an organization that sells the parts of murdered babies for money, and to protect babies that survive abortions.

"The Defund Planned Parenthood Act and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act are among the most important votes I will cast this year because they represent an attempt to protect the most vulnerable among us.

"Many Alabamians have now seen or at least heard about the deplorable undercover videos that show Planned Parenthood leadership casually discussing the best techniques for preserving the organs of aborted babies so they can be resold for maximum compensation.

"Planned Parenthood has no business receiving money from American taxpayers.

"One example close to home is the revelation by the Alabama Department of Public Health that the Mobile Planned Parenthood office performed two abortions on a 14-year-old girl in less than four months. She also had two other living children. Yet Planned Parenthood employees never notified authorities of the obvious sexual abuse.

"While I'm pleased that both of these bills passed in the House, I know that their future in the United States Senate is not bright. While members of the House, both Republicans and Democrats, allow the democratic process to play out, in the Senate it's a different story. The Senate is the place where democracy goes to sleep. Senate Democrats use the filibuster and threat of a filibuster to kill bills—never allowing them to come to a vote.

"I believe it is time for the Senate to change its rules. The filibuster was never intended to repeatedly stop bill after bill that one party disagrees with from ever being considered on the Senate Floor—and that is what is happening.

"If the President doesn't like a bill he has the power of the veto, but it is unacceptable to stop bills from being voted on. Whether it is defunding Planned Parenthood, reversing the President's immigration executive overreach or trying to stop a flawed Iran nuclear deal, these obstructionist tactics need to stop."

In Washington, Congressman Aderholt serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the powerful House Appropriations Committee; he is also a member of the Committee's Defense Subcommittee, the Committee's Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee, and the Helsinki Commission.

For more information about Aderholt's work in Congress visit: www.aderholt.house.gov.