By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Wednesday, September 29, 2015, US Representative Gary Palmer (R-Alabama) said in a statement that he is a cosponsor of HR3495, the Women’s Public Health and Safety Act. HR3495 was introduced by Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wisconsin). This bill allows states to exclude organizations that perform abortions from participating in Medicaid programs. Congressman Palmer voted for this bill on the House floor on Wednesday. The bill passed by a vote of 236 to 193.
Rep. Palmer said, “We are told that no federal funding goes to abortion, but the truth is that millions of dollars are given every year to organizations that perform abortions. Money is fungible. A dollar that goes to a legitimate purpose is a dollar that is freed up to pay for something else, including possibly abortion. I do not believe that any organization that performs abortions should receive federal dollars. I certainly believe that states like Alabama should be able to exclude any such organizations from their Medicaid programs.”
The Federal government has sued several states, including Alabama, for terminating their Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides abortions. These cases are still pending. According to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that came out this year, Planned Parenthood alone received $1.18 billion in state and Federal Medicaid dollars from 2010 to 2012.
The Obama Administration has accused Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) of exceeding his authority when he cancelled a contract with abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.
Gov. Bentley said that he will not have State taxpayer dollars going to an organization that will crush a baby’s head in order to sell its body parts.
Planned Parenthood Southeast has sued the state of Alabama for cancelling the contract after a series of undercover videos by the Center for Medical Progress have exposed allegedly inhumane practices being used by the abortion provider to harvest healthy organs to sell too fetal tissue researchers.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) issued his own statement applauding House passage of HR3495, the Women’s Public Health and Safety Act, authored by Rep. Duffy. The outgoing Speaker said, “Today, the House has taken another step to protect unborn children and the sanctity of life. Right now, the Obama administration is trying to force states to fund abortion businesses engaged in the grisly practices of trafficking in baby parts that have disturbed many Americans. That’s wrong. The Women’s Public Health and Safety Act empowers states to exclude abortion businesses from their Medicaid programs. This is a strong pro-life measure, and it deserves a vote in the United States Senate.”
Congressman Gary Palmer represents Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District. This is Palmer’s first term in the US House of Representatives. Prior to running for Congress Palmer was the President and Co-founder of the Alabama Policy Institute (API).
