TODAY, the House of Representatives voted 241-187 to defund Planned Parenthood for a year. According to them, this would give the government the necessary time to investigate the allegations of wrongdoing, misuse of funds, and fetal organ harvesting that have been plaguing Planned Parenthood for the last several months.
Before we start getting preparing to riot, let’s just remember that this doesn’t mean Planned Parenthood is actually going to get defunded. The bill would still have to make it to the Senate, where Democrats would rather die than allow it to get passed. If, for some reason, all 53 Democrats have brain aneurysms at the same time and allow this bill to get to the President’s desk, President Obama has already said he would exercise his veto powers. Whether it was an actual attempt to shut down Planned Parenthood or a move catering to the conservatives who’ve threatened to shut down the government over the organization, it’s a blatant slap in the face of women and the movement for affordable access to reproductive healthcare, and it sends a clear message to women from Republicans: “We know what’s best for your bodies.”
Well, sorry, Republicans. In the words of feminist icon Nomi Malone:
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