RICHMOND — On a party-line vote Feb. 25, the House of Delegates
upheld Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s veto of a Republican bill to defund
Planned Parenthood.
On the final day of the 2017 legislative session, the House voted
62-33, with five members not voting, to override the veto of HB 2264. The
motion failed because an override requires a two-thirds majority.
The bill, introduced by Del. Ben Cline, R-Amherst, sought to
“prohibit the Virginia Department of Health from granting funds or entering
into contracts with certain health care providers that perform abortion.” It
would have removed Title X funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides
family planning, contraception, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted
diseases, and cancer screenings as well as abortions.
The Virginia Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of
Virginia’s Catholic bishops, supported the bill to defund Planned Parenthood and
was critical of the governor’s veto last week.
“The Virginia Catholic Conference upholds the timeless truth that
every human being, born and unborn, has an equal right to life,” the bishops
said in a Feb. 21 statement. “The conference finds Gov. McAuliffe’s pride in
protecting an organization that destroys life and harms women and their
families deeply offensive. We will continue to fight for the day when Virginia
law protects all human life, at every stage of development, from conception until
natural death.”
Earlier this month, Cline’s bill passed 60-33 in the House and
20-19 in the Senate. McAuliffe then vetoed the measure, saying it “would harm
tens of thousands of Virginians who rely on the health care services and
programs provided by Planned Parenthood health centers, by denying them access
to affordable care.”
“Attempts to restrict women’s access to health care will impede
the goal of making Virginia the best place to live, work, and run a business,”
the governor wrote in his veto message.
Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, who is seeking the Democratic nomination
for governor, issued a statement saying, “I thank Gov. McAuliffe for standing
by his promise to be a brick wall against attacks on a woman’s access to
reproductive health care, and I applaud members of the House of Delegates for
standing with him and sustaining his veto today.”
For years, Republican lawmakers and anti-abortion groups such as
the Family Foundation of Virginia have been pressing to cut off government
funding for Planned Parenthood and divert the money to health clinics that they
say offer more comprehensive services. McAuliffe vetoed a similar bill last
year.
Also Saturday, the General Assembly approved a revised state
budget that includes a 3 percent pay raise for state employees as well as
increased funding for K-12 education and mental health services. Legislators
managed to plug a $1.26 billion shortfall in the two-year budget — the top
priority when the legislative session began on Jan. 11.
“We adjourned on time, adopted an amended balanced budget ahead
of schedule and offered positive solutions on the issues that matter most to
Virginians,” Republican leaders in the House said in a statement. “Our amended
budget reflects the priorities facing the Commonwealth. The budget is
conservative and responsible, reduces borrowing, eliminates new fees and charts
a responsible course.”
McAuliffe also issued a statement, saying the legislative session
“was marked by bipartisan cooperation on issues that are important to the
people of Virginia.”
“We have had our differences, but we have found ways to work
together on important issues that grow our economy and create opportunity for
the people we serve,” said McAuliffe, who is serving his last year as governor.
