Aug. 8: GOP council scuttles Planned Parenthood funding

The country’s political fight over abortion rights came to the Granite State’s front door last week with the Republican-dominated Executive Council voting to withhold funding of Planned Parenthood.

Nationally, conservatives have been critical of Planned Parenthood of late with the release of undercover videos that raise questions about the practice of harvesting tissue from aborted fetuses for research.

The videos from an anti-abortion advocacy group known as the Center for Medical Progress show Planned Parenthood executives discussing the procurement of tissue from aborted fetuses.

Defunding Planned Parenthood has become a rallying cry of GOP politicians, and the Republican-led U.S. Senate this week tried to bring a bill about Planned Parenthood’s federal funding to the floor. The bill falling short of the 60 roll call votes it needed to advance.

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, voted to bring the bill to the floor, while U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, voted against the bill.

But where it failed in Washington, D.C., it succeeded in Concord, N.H.

The five member governor’s Executive Council is made up of three Republicans — Joseph Kenney from District 1, Christopher Sununu from District 3 and David Wheeler from District 5, and two Democrats – Colin Van Ostern from District 2 and Christopher Pappas from District 4.

At issue was a contract renewal for about $650,000 for services such as pregnancy counseling services offered in New Hampshire by Planned Parenthood.

Sununu was considered the swing vote, since the other Republicans and the Democrats had already telegraphed their intentions. Sununu, who is pro-choice, said the videos pushed him to vote no.

“I just think we can do better. I understand governor you don’t want to go out and look for those choices. You have been clear about that. I can appreciate that, don’t agree but appreciate it,” Sununu said in an NH1 story.

The 3-2 vote to defund Planned Parenthood in the Granite State had political implications, both state and national.

Sununu is said to be considering a run for governor in 2016. The governor — Democrat Maggie Hassan — is trying to decide whether she’ll run for re-election or run against Ayotte for the U.S. Senate.

Hassan, in a statement after the vote, said:

“It is clear that today’s vote is the result of an ideological and political attack against Planned Parenthood and a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions, as there have been no allegations or evidence that Planned Parenthood of Northern New England has done anything but follow New Hampshire law and help thousands of women and families access health care.
 
“The council’s vote to defund Planned Parenthood will hurt the health and economic well-being of thousands of Granite Staters. Moving forward, I will continue to fight to ensure that women and families have access to the important health services that are essential to the economic security and vitality of our families.”
 
Hillary Clinton, Democratic candidate for president, got into the act too. Her New Hampshire campaign released a statement saying, “New Hampshire Republicans’ vote to defund Planned Parenthood was a disgraceful and transparent decision to sacrifice the health and well-being of Granite State women in the name of an out of touch and out of date ideology.”

Voters First forum

The Planned Parenthood vote in the U.S. Senate on Monday had a small impact on the Voters First Presidential Primary Forum held in Manchester that evening.

Three of the Republican candidates who participated in the forum — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio – remained in D.C. for the vote (they voted to bring the bill to the floor) and participated in the forum via satellite.

The forum, with the Union Leader as its primary sponsor, was meant to give the stage to all the Republican candidates for president. The Republican debate held Thursday evening in Cleveland, Ohio, included only the top 10 candidates in an average of national polling.

Absent from the stage in Manchester, but generating no fewer headlines as a result, was real estate mogul Donald Trump, who in a tiff with the Union Leader over his remarks about Arizona Sen. John McCain declined the invitation to attend. See an LFDA post about the forum here.

Heroin state of emergency

That New Hampshire is in crisis over a heroin addiction epidemic is not news. But Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas this week asked Gov. Hassan to declare a heroin state of emergency. Among other considerations, Gatsas wanted federal funds to create a drug court in the Queen City.

But Hassan said funding sought by Gatsas cannot be used for a drug court. She said the money would be used to help the city in other ways, including funding for Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. See a Union Leader story here.

We’re back next week. Be sure to check out what’s trending on our Facebook page.

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