Rand Paul: Pro-Life Democrats Crucial to Defunding Planned Parenthood

Sen. Rand Paul says pro-life Democrats hold the key to passing legislation in the Senate that would completely defund Planned Parenthood.

“There are several Democrats who say they are pro-life,” Paul tells The Daily Signal.

“It’s not a guarantee that we get all the Republicans on this,” he adds. “The vast majority of Republicans will support this but we need a few Democrats. If we can get six Democrats and all the Republicans we can actually put this on the president’s desk.”

Paul, along with Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; James Lankford, R-Okla.; and others are leading the charge after undercover videos surfaced showing Planned Parenthood doctors discussing the sale of fetal body parts from aborted babies. The controversial organization, which has denied they profit off fetal body parts, receives more than $500 million dollars in federal dollars.

The vote next Monday will be an attempt to strip all that cash away. In order to do it though, the GOP will need 60 votes, a tall order considering there are only 54 Republicans. Some pro-life Democrats being targeted by Paul and his colleagues are Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin.

The GOP is banking on outrage as a motivating factor when it comes to pushing this bill through. Paul says this isn’t just about the life issue. It’s also a misuse of federal money.

“This is about whether the taxpayer should fund this abhorrent practice of actually manipulating the baby in order to harvest its organs,” he says.