Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) voted for the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 (H.R. 3134), which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by a 241 to 187 margin.  The legislation places a temporary moratorium on federal funding for Planned Parenthood Federation of America while Congress conducts investigations into the organization’s practices.

  

“Americans should not be forced to pay for practices that violate their core moral beliefs.  The undercover videos featuring senior level Planned Parenthood officials discussing the harvesting and trafficking of fetal body parts is abhorrent to me and many other Southern Illinoisans,” said Rep. Bost.  “That’s why I voted to end all federal funding to Planned Parenthood while Congress gets to the bottom of this disturbing situation.  I believe we can stop federal funding of this organization without sacrificing women’s access to quality medical services.  Southern Illinois is home to dozens of community health clinics that provide top level care to women in need.”

 

H.R. 3134 directs funding for women’s preventative health services to federally-qualified health centers.  In Illinois, there are 670 federally-qualified health centers and rural health clinics compared to just 18 Planned Parenthood facilities.