The 115th Congress and the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2017
The 115th Congress convened on January 20, 2017, in the United States. The H.R. 354, also known as the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2017, was reintroduced by Congressman Black, a registered nurse and member of the Select Investigate Panel on Infant Lives. The Superintendent of Documents ratified the agreement (Walsh, 2017). The Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2017 imposes a one-year embargo on all government financing for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, favoring preventive healthcare over elective abortion.
The Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Legislative Process
The Committee on Energy and Commerce was a bill that was introduced by the House of Representatives during this sitting. The bill was enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America during the Congress assembly.
The legislation also included its affiliates and associated clinics, until such time as Planned Parenthood certificates that it will not perform elective abortions or give fund such entities. The legislation would also redirect additional funding of more than 13,500 dollars for community health centers for the one-year period described above.
The Defund Planned Parenthood Act
This bill prohibits, for a one-year period, the availability of federal funds for any purpose to Planned Parenthood Federation of America or any of its affiliates or clinics, unless they certify that the affiliates and clinics will not perform, and will not provide any funds to any other entity that performs, an abortion during such period (Sanger, 2017). This bill was introduced with the support of over 125 cosponsors.
The Funding redirected by the bill to the community health centers nationwide will provide a broad range of healthcare services to women for example the mammograms that will not perform abortions which is a crime. This will help reduce the high crime rate in the whole world.
Weaknesses
However, this restriction does not apply in cases of rape or incest or where a physical condition endangers a woman's life unless an abortion is performed. Also, the funding for community health centers raised a lot of issues. Abortion is not a health care but then it is the main concern of this bill. And that the policy for long has cashed in for people's tax all while performing very many abortions within a year. "In fact the bill provides $235 million for the nation's community health centers. This is about promoting true women's healthcare over elective abortion." says Black to support his legislation.
The one weakness of the act also is that it singles out only the Planned Parenthood and not other family planning providers (Gorsuch, 2009). If so, then it will be a violation of the Byrd Rule which will make the bill ineligible to pass with a simple majority through the budget reconciliation process.
Impact
The Congressional budget estimates suggests that the congress receives over $390 million from Medicaid and from Tittle X. This will help poor women on Medicaid and provide them with services at an affordable price.
Social Acceptability
Even though this policy is popular among the publicans, most Americans do not comply with the requirements of this Bill since they view it as biased. President Trump recently suggested that the Bill might be able to keep its funding if it stopped offering abortion. Polling suggests more than half of Trump voters oppose Defunding Parenthood.
Susan B. Anthony List, Congressman Black has spent his career fighting for the health and dignity of mothers and their unborn babies.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2017 is a very important bill since it keeps women from getting health care from theses policy and also offers affordable abortion coverage for many privately ensured women. However, The Bill has also many weaknesses since it only bases on abortion which is not even a health care and it also does not cover up for all family providers. This makes most Americans not to consider it a priority even though Planned Parenthood funding is popular among publicans.
References
Gorsuch, N. M. (2009). The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. Newyork: Princeton University Press.
Sanger, C. (2017). About Abortion: Terminating Pregnancy in Twenty-First-Century America. Newyork: Harvard University Press.
Walsh, M. (2017). The Unholy Trinity: Blocking the Left’s Assault on Life, Marriage, and Gende. Newyork: Crown Publishing Group.
