Bucking the now infamous “Trump Memo” advice to avoid another “‘war on women’ fight,” vulnerable Senators are ready to vote today on the bill to defund Planned Parenthood. The bill the Senate will consider today would also repeal Medicaid expansion, robbing thousands of families– including those in the GOP’s must-win states – of health insurance.
New Hampshire’s Kelly Ayotte: “U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte supports a plan advanced by Republican leadership this week to repeal what her spokeswoman called ‘the worst provisions’ of the Affordable Care Act, to end Medicaid in 2017 and to redirect funding from Planned Parenthood to community health centers. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly presented the plan to Senate Republicans on Monday, with a vote expected later this week.” [WMUR, 12/1/15]
Pennsylvania’s Pat Toomey: “‘I’m looking forward to it passing,’ said Toomey, who is facing voters next year in a state in which 430,000 people have enrolled in Medicaid so far this year.” [Politico, 12/1/15]
Ohio’s Rob Portman: “Rob Portman of Ohio… indicated [he] would back the bill, signaling that [he] had little concern about any political backlash.” [Politico, 12/1/15]
Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson: “I hope the president signs the bill we pass.” [Ron Johnson Op-Ed, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/2/15]
Arizona’s John McCain: “‘Obviously the governor and legislature in my state decided that they wanted that program and so it is going to trouble me in the vote. When you’re looking at the overall components of it, I would probably vote for it,’ McCain said.” [Huffington Post,12/2/15]
“The Republican-led Senate is spending the last few hours of its unimpressive working year to attack the health care services American women and families in every single state rely on,” said Lauren Passalacqua, DSCC National Press Secretary. “Next fall, voters will remember how their Senators ignored the problems that actually demand Congressional action to wage a dangerous ideological crusade.”
