Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) will break with his party and vote to defund Planned Parenthood today.
Manchin said in a statement that he’s “very troubled by the callous behavior of Planned Parenthood staff in recently released videos, which casually discuss the sale, possibly for profit, of fetal tissue after an abortion.”
“Until these allegations have been answered and resolved, I do not believe that taxpayer money should be used to fund this organization; instead those funds should be sent to other health care providers, including community health centers, which provide important women’s healthcare services,” the senator said.
“While my vote is one that will prevent taxpayers dollars from going to Planned Parenthood, I will remain committed to ensuring that all women in West Virginia and America receive the health care services they need.”
Other moderate Dems, Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), have not revealed how they’ll vote.
As a member of the House, Donnelly voted for a measure to strip federal funding for Planned Parenthood in 2011.
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