House debating Pence amendment to ban federal Planned Parenthood funding

At about 9 p.m. Thursday, the House began debate on an amendment from Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Pence said Planned Parenthood is "the largest abortion provider in America."

But he also noted that abortion is "unfortunately" still legal in the U.S., and his amendment is only aimed at ensuring that U.S. taxpayers do not pay for abortion procedures.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said on the floor that Planned Parenthood offers other health services, and that its funding should not be cut.

Earlier, the House was debating an amendment that would prevent the Department of Education from spending money to implement regulations that set standards for for-profit educational institutions.