WASHINGTON, D.C., December 17, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A massive spending bill that included big subsidies for Planned Parenthood and abortion providers has been pulled from the US Senate’s agenda in the face of uniform Republican opposition to the measure.
US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pulled the 1,924-page omnibus spending bill from consideration on Thursday night in favor of a continuing resolution that would get GOP support and finance the government into next year. The spending bill, in contrast allotted 1.1 trillion dollars to fund the federal government for FY 2011, with over a billion dollars that would have funded abortion advocates at home and abroad, just in time for Christmas.
At least $327 million was allotted for the Title X program, which subsidizes Planned Parenthood and other “family planning” providers – a $10 million increase from the previous year.
Another $710 million was dedicated to funding international family planning/reproductive health groups that have an abortion agenda or perform abortions overseas. This provision represents a $62 million increase from the previous year. Overall it represents an increase of $260 million to overseas family planners over the past four years.
The measure would also authorize the use of taxpayer funds to subsidize abortions in the District of Columbia, the nation’s capital.
The bill would also have established an Office of Global Women’s Issues at the State Department, and the position of Gender Integration and Development Advisor at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), positions which pro-life advocates have suspected may be used to advance abortion internationally.
Now Senate Democrats and Republicans will have to hash out the terms of a continuing resolution that will keep the federal government funded until February 18.