By DAVID MATTESON
Amid heartfelt and heated debate, the House of Representatives voted to remove Federal funding from the $317 million Title X budget on Feb. 18.
The fund is used to pay for birth control, screening and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, prenatal care and sex education for both males and females. However, it became the subject of discussion, as the largest recipient of this funding is Planned Parenthood, an organization who provides the most abortion procedures in the nation.
Debate engulfed the House floor as Democrats who disapproved of the defunding accused the GOP of waging a war against women; while Republicans charged the organization with being too aggressive about providing abortion procedures. However, Title X funding currently cannot be used for abortion procedures.
Representative Mike Pence is the author of the amendment. He has rallied against Planned Parenthood and Title X funding three times before.
“If you follow the money, you can actually take the funding supports out of abortion. We then have a much better opportunity to move forward to be a society that says yes to life,” Pence said.
The topic left Representatives divided. Massachusetts Democrat Stephen Lynch, who supports an anti-abortion agenda, stated his support for the organization.
“This is about the ability of Planned Parenthood to conduct women’s health care, to offer services that are deeply needed in many communities where no other health care is available,” Lynch said. “I am pro-life, but I respect the good work that they do.”
Despite the divide the amendment passed 240-185. Senior Lauren Wood feels aggravated about the defunding of the Title X budget.
“It makes me really mad, because there are so many people who can’t afford health care, let alone STD and pregnancy screening and birth control,” Wood said. “Without these services I feel the spread of STDs and unplanned pregnancy will rise.”
The amendment will now be debated in the Senate, and Wood hopes it will not pass. In fact, she recently signed a petition on Facebook against the defunding.
“I’d like to think that the Senate would realize that if this [amendment] passes it will have a negative impact on the community,” Wood said.