Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., criticized the House of Representatives for not passing legislation prior to the annual August district work period to defund Planned Parenthood.
“Over the past two weeks, we’ve all seen the gruesome videos showing the heartless depravity of this organization,” Black said in a speech Wednesday. “We issued statements, we made passionate floor speeches, and we pledged action. Now, our constituents would like to know when we’re going to follow through on that promise.”
Black continued:
Today, I’m reminded of the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: ‘Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.’
Mister Speaker, we have a moral obligation to defund Planned Parenthood, and we must do it now – not when the politicians and pundits think it is most politically expedient.
Planned Parenthood received $528 million in taxpayer dollars in the last fiscal year reported.
Currently, Black’s legislation has garnered support from around 150 cosponsors. Additionally, Black authored a letter to Congress, which was signed by five other pro-life representatives, advocating for House leaders to act immediately and withdraw federal funding from Planned Parenthood.