© Greg Nash
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellRomney blasts end of filibuster, expansion of SCOTUS McConnell, GOP slam Biden's executive order on SCOTUS Overnight Defense: Biden proposes 3B defense budget | Criticism comes in from left and right | Pentagon moves toward new screening for extremists MORE started a fast-track process Friday on legislation to strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding in the wake of two controversial videos showing officials discussing delivery of fetal parts.
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellRomney blasts end of filibuster, expansion of SCOTUS McConnell, GOP slam Biden's executive order on SCOTUS Overnight Defense: Biden proposes 3B defense budget | Criticism comes in from left and right | Pentagon moves toward new screening for extremists MORE started a fast-track process Friday on legislation to strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding in the wake of two controversial videos showing officials discussing delivery of fetal parts. Speaking from the Senate floor, the Republican leader began "Rule 14," which will let the legislation skip the committee process and be placed on the Senate calendar so it can be brought up for a vote.
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The move comes after Sen. Ted Cruz
Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzGOP lawmakers block Biden assistance to Palestinians Cruz on Boehner: 'I wear with pride his drunken, bloviated scorn' The Hill's Morning Report - Biden: Let's make a deal on infrastructure, taxes MORE (R-Texas) slammed McConnell during a blistering floor speech earlier Friday, suggesting the Kentucky Republican wanted to dodge a vote on defunding Planned Parenthood.
Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzGOP lawmakers block Biden assistance to Palestinians Cruz on Boehner: 'I wear with pride his drunken, bloviated scorn' The Hill's Morning Report - Biden: Let's make a deal on infrastructure, taxes MORE (R-Texas) slammed McConnell during a blistering floor speech earlier Friday, suggesting the Kentucky Republican wanted to dodge a vote on defunding Planned Parenthood. "There are a host of amendments that the American people are focused on, things like defunding Planned Parenthood after the gruesome video,” Cruz said. “The majority leader doesn't want to vote on that. That's actually something the American people are focused on."
Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul
Randal (Rand) Howard PaulThe Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by ExxonMobil - World mourns the death of Prince Philip The Hill's Morning Report - Biden assails 'epidemic' of gun violence amid SC, Texas shootings Trump faces test of power with early endorsements MORE (R-Ky.), both of whom are running for president in 2016, as well as Sen. Mike Lee
Michael (Mike) Shumway LeeOn management of Utah public lands, Biden should pursue an accountable legislative process Rubio asks MLB commissioner if he'll give up Augusta golf club membership Why some Republicans think vaccine passports will backfire on Democrats MORE (R-Utah), were hoping to use the the Senate's long-term highway bill as their vehicle to defund the agency.
Randal (Rand) Howard PaulThe Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by ExxonMobil - World mourns the death of Prince Philip The Hill's Morning Report - Biden assails 'epidemic' of gun violence amid SC, Texas shootings Trump faces test of power with early endorsements MORE (R-Ky.), both of whom are running for president in 2016, as well as Sen. Mike LeeMichael (Mike) Shumway LeeOn management of Utah public lands, Biden should pursue an accountable legislative process Rubio asks MLB commissioner if he'll give up Augusta golf club membership Why some Republicans think vaccine passports will backfire on Democrats MORE (R-Utah), were hoping to use the the Senate's long-term highway bill as their vehicle to defund the agency. McConnell appeared to dash those hopes Friday morning when he used the procedural tactic known as "filling the tree," a move meant to block further amendment votes.
A spokesman for Lee told The Hill at the time that a Planned Parenthood amendment would not be considered germane — blocking it from being attached to the highway bill.
Paul's presidential campaign quickly claimed credit for the legislation skipping over the committee process, suggesting the 2016 contender was actually behind the fast-track process that McConnell teed up on the Senate floor.
"Sen. Paul started the fast-track process, Senate Majority Leader McConnell read it on the floor," a campaign staffer said in an email to The Hill.
Separately, Paul said in a statement sent out by his campaign that "since the inhumane acts of Planned Parenthood have surfaced, I have vowed to defeat and defund this taxpayer-funded organization. ... Today, I implemented Rule 14 and fast-tracked legislation to strip every dollar of Planned Parenthood funding."
A spokesperson for McConnell — pointing to a transcript of Friday's floor proceedings — said that "the Leader started the Rule 14 process on the floor which makes the bill available for consideration."
The organization is back in Republican crosshairs after two videos were recently released showing Planned Parenthood officials talking about the preservation of fetal tissue and the cost of saving and distributing the tissue.
The Department of Justice said earlier this week that it's reviewing the two videos, and information surrounding them, to decide what steps, if any, need to be taken.
Meanwhile, 50 senators, including Joe Manchin
Joe ManchinRomney blasts end of filibuster, expansion of SCOTUS Five takeaways from Biden's first budget proposal Parkland parent pressures Manchin on gun reform: 'You represent the nation' MORE (D-W.Va.), sent a letter to Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell that called on her department to "fully cooperate" with the congressional investigations.
Joe ManchinRomney blasts end of filibuster, expansion of SCOTUS Five takeaways from Biden's first budget proposal Parkland parent pressures Manchin on gun reform: 'You represent the nation' MORE (D-W.Va.), sent a letter to Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell that called on her department to "fully cooperate" with the congressional investigations. The legislation McConnell is fast-tracking was introduced earlier Friday by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who is running for president.
- Updated at 3:40 p.m. Saturday.
