Ron Johnson: “Planned Parenthood Could Separate Themselves Completely. I Don’t Think Any American Should Have Their Taxpayer Dollars Go Toward Something They Find Morally Wrong.” According to GrayDC, “Planned Parenthood can’t legally use the money to perform abortions, but some argue the government is providing a financial cushion for the clinics. ‘Planned Parenthood could separate themselves completely. I don’t think any American should have their taxpayer dollars go toward something they find morally wrong. And that’s basically what happens when you start funding an organization that is in the abortion business,’ said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. Republican members of Congress say their problem isn’t with Planned Parenthood, but with the abortion services the clinics provide.” [GrayDC, 1/12/17]
Ron Johnson Said He Was Sympathetic To Americans Who Do Not Want Their Tax Dollars Going To Planned Parenthood. According to Beloit Daily News, “One attendee asked about how the possibility of defunding Planned Parenthood and the overturning of Roe v. Wade – which establishes abortion rights on a federal level – will affect women’s health. Johnson said he’s sympathetic to Americans who don’t want tax dollars to fund abortions. He said women would be redirected to other available clinics, so he doesn’t see any danger to women’s health.” [Beloit Daily News, 7/27/18]
2017: Ron Johnson Voted For The So Called “Skinny Repeal” Version Of Trumpcare, Which Defunded Planned Parenthood For One Year. In July 2017, Johnson voted for the Health Care Freedom Act, also known as “skinny repeal.” According to Vox, “The Health Care Freedom Act is the Senate Republicans’ last-ditch attempt to repeal Obamacare. Released around 10 o’clock Thursday night, it is expected to come to a vote early Friday morning. […] This HCFA would repeal the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that all Americans carry coverage. It would nix the requirement that large employers provide coverage to all workers, too. The bill includes a three-year repeal of the medical device tax and a one-year defunding of Planned Parenthood.” The vote was on the amendment. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 49 to 51. [Senate Vote 179, 7/28/17; Vox, 7/27/17; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 667; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 267; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1628]
2017: Ron Johnson Voted For A “Repeal And Delay” Version Of Trumpcare That Would Have Repealed Significant Portions Of The Affordable Care Act, Such As Sunsetting The Medicaid Expansion, Repealing The Individual Mandate And Defunded Planned Parenthood. In July 2017, Johnson voted for the Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act of 2017. According to Congressional Quarterly, the legislation would have “sunset Medicaid expansion and certain taxes created under the 2010 health care overhaul, repeal[ed] the individual and employer mandates, would [have] exclude[d] health plans that cover abortion from certain tax credits and would [have] ban[ned] federal funding for abortion providers that receive at least $1 million in federal funding annually.” The underlying legislation was the reconciliation vehicle for Trumpcare. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 45 to 55. [Senate Vote 169, 7/26/17; Congressional Quarterly, 7/25/17; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 271; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 267; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1628]
2017: Ron Johnson Voted To Disapprove A Rule That Would Have Effectively Withheld Title X Funds To States That Restrict Title X Funds To Planned Parenthood. In March 2017, Johnson voted for disapproving the HHS rule related to Title X funding compliance via the Congressional Review Act. According to Congressional Quarterly, “This resolution disapproves the rule issued by the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) on Dec. 19, 2016, that modifies eligibility requirements for Title X grants for family planning services to specify that states and other entities awarding funds cannot prohibit a health care provider from participating for reasons other than its ability to provide Title X services (which effectively threatens to withhold Title X money from states that restrict participation by Planned Parenthood). The measure provides that the rule (formally titled Compliance With Title X Requirements by Project Recipients in Selecting Subrecipients) would have no force or effect.” The vote was on passage. The Senate passed the resolution by a vote of 50 to 50 with Vice President Pence breaking the tie in favor of the bill. The legislation later became law. [Senate Vote 101, 3/30/17; Congressional Quarterly, 2/10/17; Congressional Actions, H. J. Res. 43]
2018: Ron Johnson Voted To Defund Planned Parenthood. In August 2018, Johnson voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “prohibit[ed] federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood.” The underlying legislation was an FY 2019 Labor, HHS, Education and Defense appropriations bill. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 45 to 48. [Senate Vote 191, 8/23/18; Congressional Quarterly, 8/23/18; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 3967; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 3695; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6157]