News

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 8, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – House Republicans are preparing to abandon the historic fight to defund abortion giant Planned Parenthood under immense political pressure, say reports citing bipartisan sources on Capitol Hill Friday evening.

Politico reported at 8:47 p.m. that negotiators have reached an agreement on “controversial policy riders” in the Continuing Resolution, despite final spending numbers remaining uncertain. The news service had no details to offer on Planned Parenthood, whose defunding Politico confirmed was the “most controversial” of the controversial riders.

The National Journal reported just after 7 p.m. that several GOP and Democratic sources both on and off the Hill have confirmed that a final number for cuts is about to be decided and that Planned Parenthood would retain its federal funding.

The Journal says that Planned Parenthood defunding was traded for a higher number of cuts as well as “an unspecified and symbolic procedural step intended to give Boehner and conservatives political cover on the issue.”

Leaders of both parties, however, continue to state as late as 7 p.m. Friday evening that no agreement has been reached. If a deal is reached Friday evening, leaders have said they will agree to an emergency stopgap measure that would fund the government for as long as it takes to officially pass the long-term bill.

Throughout Friday, Democrats in the Senate were hyperbolically criticizing Republicans for risking a government shutdown by standing firm on the Planned Parenthood defunding. However, government shutdown became imminent only after President Obama himself rejected the GOP’s efforts this week to maintain government operations through the negotiating process.