This was a vote on passage of legislation that would effectively eliminate all federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides a wide array of health services for women, including breast cancer screenings, pap smears, and abortions.

Technically, this vote was on an “enrollment correction resolution.” Such resolutions are generally used for making technical changes to previously passed legislation. In this case, the enrollment correction added legislative language defunding Planned Parenthood to a recently passed government-funding bill. During negotiations on the government-funding bill, Senate Democrats agreed to hold an up-or-down vote on cutting all federal funds from Planned Parenthood. Specifically, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid agreed to bring up this enrollment correction resolution for an up-or-down vote after it had passed the House.

Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-MI) supported this resolution: “This resolution would deny funding to Planned Parenthood. It's morally wrong to have taxpayer dollars from my constituents in Mississippi, or from any other State, go towards organizations that provide abortions. Since 1977 Planned Parenthood has assisted in aborting the lives of over 5 million children….This is an organization that has protected those who prey on our children and has protected those who rape our granddaughters….They put quick and secret abortions ahead of the welfare of victimized young girls. And it has to stop. Those who oppose this resolution are enabling them.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) opposed the resolution: “This is an attempt to turn back the clock on women's health and basic rights….With this resolution, the majority aims to exclude one specific health care provider, Planned Parenthood, from all Federal resources. This will needlessly put lives in danger. Planned Parenthood carries out millions of lifesaving preventative and primary care services every year. They deliver immunizations, routine gynecological exams, nearly 1 million screenings for cervical cancer, 830,000 breast exams, and nearly 4 million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections like HIV every single year. If this resolution passes, all of these services would be lost.”

The House passed this resolution by a vote of 241-185. Voting “yea” were 231 Republicans and 10 Democrats. 178 Democrats and 7 Republicans voted “nay.” As a result, the House passed a resolution that would effectively eliminate all federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides a wide array of health services for women, including breast cancer screenings, pap smears, and abortions. The Senate, however, rejected this resolution by a vote of 42-58. Thus, the resolution eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood was not enacted, and Planned Parenthood’s federal funding remained intact for the remainder of the fiscal year.