House Fails to Override Veto to Defund Planned Parenthood - CBN News

House Fails to Override Veto to Defund Planned Parenthood

02-02-2016

CBN News

Republican lawmakers launched another effort to repeal President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law Tuesday, despite having no chance of succeeding.

Tuesday's vote was an attempt to override Obama's veto last month on a bill to gut Obamacare and end federal payments to Planned Parenthood.

Even before the scheduled vote, GOP lawmakers did not appear to have the necessary two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto. Yet, to many, like Rep. Robert Pittenger, R-N.C., the vote was symbolic.

Pittenger told CBN News the vote gave conservatives an opportunity to draw a distinction between their priorities versus the priorities of the Democrats. Click here to listen to Rep. Pittenger's comments: Defund Planned Parenthood

"We want to make it very clear to the American people where we stand and where the president stands. That's why we put this on his desk," he said. "We want them to know that we are standing for righteousness. We're standing for truth. We're standing for the lives of the unborn.

"And we're standing for a budget that is one that will bring accountability to our government and that's what we're about," he added.

Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the effort would send an important signal.

"What we're proving today is if we have a Republican president next year, we will repeal Obamacare," Ryan told reporters.