One of the main items hindering agreement in Washington’s budge battles is Planned Parenthood. The questions:
- Are Republicans so locked on to this item that they will risk a government shutdown? and
- Will a government shutdown diminish Republican’s chances to re-take the White House next year?
Talk about penny wise and pound foolish….With the best chances in years to take control of the White House, a few Republicans in Congress are contemplating actions that could diminish their party’s chance to win in 2016.
Monmouth University poll
According to the Monmouth University poll taken in early August, 49% of Americans are not supportive of defunding Planned Parenthood. 39% support it. This means there is not overwhelming support on either side of this issue.
CNN/ORC poll: “Avoid a Shutdown”
During the last government shutdown in 2013 a CNN/ORC poll showed 60% said “Congress should avoid a shutdown.” In their poll released yesterday CNN/ORC found 71% said it was more important for Congress to pass spending bills and keep the government open.
Yet with no clear majority reflected in the poll numbers on Planned Parenthood and crystal clear poll numbers on the sentiments about government shutdowns, there remain a small number of Republicans in both the House and Senate who are willing to fall on their policy sword and possibly diminish the chances of a Republican taking the White House in 2016.
With 14% Approval Rating – now is NOT the time…
If the federal government shutters over this issue, Republicans will receive some blame for their inability to govern. This is a boneheaded risk to take now especially when the approval rating of Congress remains abysmally low — 14% approval according to Gallup and 63% of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction (Rasmussen).
It will get vetoed anyway, so why?
Moreover, the White House will veto any bill that contains provisions defunding Planned Parenthood.
Congress should immediately pass a continuing resolution funding the federal government until the end of the calendar year. Investigative hearings on Planned Parenthood can begin and, as the House may do this week, have a separate vote on defunding Planned Parenthood.
There is no way Republicans benefit by taking this risk at this time. This is unequivocally the wrong battle at the wrong time.
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