Mikulski: GOP in the ‘dark ages,’ ‘waging war’ on women

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and the Democratic women of the Senate took to the floor for nearly an hour Wednesday to decry Republicans for forcing a vote that would strip Planned Parenthood’s federal funding as part of the 2011 budget.

“These socially provocative riders literally wage war against woman,” Mikulski said, referring to another measure that would defund the implementation of Democrats' healthcare law. “Let’s talk about the war they want to wage against women.”

“Now they want to beat them [women] up on the Senate floor,” said Mikulski. “Well, we are going to stand up and we are not going to tolerate women being pushed around and being targets of this war.”

Mikulski hailed Planned Parenthood as “one of the most single important healthcare providers particularly to young women” and insisted the Senate’s 13 Democratic women would stand as the last line of defense to protect its funding.

“Just because Republicans are still in the dark ages doesn't mean women want to go back to them, and that’s why we the Democratic women will be voting against the riders,” said Mikulski.

Leaders in Congress and the White House agreed to up-or-down House and Senate votes on the healthcare law and Planned Parenthood as a condition of the budget agreement struck Friday.

Passage of either of the health-related amendments in the House would not automatically mean they are attached to the fiscal 2011 spending bill — the Senate would have to approve them as well, which is not expected to happen.

“We will be the last line of defense for women in America,” Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said on the Senate floor. “We will be here tomorrow to fight this battle for women.”