Harry Reid: We won't budge on Planned Parenthood

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in an exclusive interview Friday that Democrats "are not budging" when it comes to Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and other groups that provide women's health services.

"I have nine granddaughters and I want them to have the peace of mind that if something later goes on I can't help them with, that they can go get a cancer screening, have some information that they can't get at home and we're not going to violate that," he told CBS News' Nancy Cordes.

Reid suggested on the Senate floor Friday that the only issue holding up a budget deal is GOP efforts to cut off Title X funding for Planned Parenthood and similar groups. Republicans dispute that claim, suggesting the impasse is about spending cuts. Without a deal, the government will shut down at midnight.

Cordes asked Reid what he has to say to the hundreds of thousands of federal workers waiting to find out if they will be able to come to work and get paid next week.

"I'm saying to them what all newspapers and pundits are saying around the country, how could they close up the government on an issue dealing with women's health," Reid responded. When Cordes noted Republicans said the issue was really spending cuts, the Nevada Democrat said, "well anyone at that meeting last night at the White House -- and that's not many people -- they know the number that was given to us by the Speaker was agreed upon the only thing left standing was Planned Parenthood."

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid addresses the budget impasse on the Senate floor, April 8, 2011.

/ CBS

Reid added that "everything dealing with numbers was agreed on last night," including defense spending, and suggested Republicans are boxed into a corner by the demands of social conservatives.

Republicans are "trying to wiggle out of the fact that they're shutting down the government on this ideological stand they've taken to throw women under the bus and we're not going to go there," he said.

Asked if there was a chance for a deal before midnight, he said it was up to the GOP.

"Well I'm hopeful we can, but it's not up to me," he said. "We've agreed, we've agreed. It's up to them to drop this very, very mean-spirited attack on women."

[5infinity2]

Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides health and reproductive services on a large scale in the United States. They are a strong proponent of a woman's right to choose. From Wikipedia: "Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider. In 2008, they reported that contraception constituted 35% of total services, STI/STD testing and treatment constituted 34%, cancer testing and screening constituted 17%; and other women's health procedures, including pregnancy, prenatal, midlife, and infertility were 10%. Less than 2% of visits involve abortions."

[JV1970]

Harry Reid should have retired long ago! Better yet, he should have been voted out last November!

[jgg000101]

planned parenthood spent $1M this last election cycle to get democrats elected. It's no wonder reid won't budge, and obama likes them more than the troops.

[JV1970]

True! Planned Parenthood keeps Reid and Obama's pockets lined!

[Mioes]

Why do men who have no right to dictate what a woman should do with her body put up such a self rightous front? The GOP is willing to bankrupt the entire country based on their own ideology. It matters not that most of the country need and would like to have health care in any form. If women are pregnant because their contraception failed then they should be able to terminate the pregnancy. If young women and girls are sexually active they should be instructed in the area of birth control and encouraged to use birth control. If some people are against pro choice then those same people should be willing to take care of the child that is born because the woman had no options to giving birth. I was raised in a Baptist family and I know this goes against the grain. Yet I still believe and support a womans right to choose. It is no one else business what that woman chooses. These righ to life mislead people need to realize that what they are doing is saying that God has no control and no power in the human race. They think God needs help. God needs no help. He will ultimately deal with everyone who has lived. Teach the kids to use birth control without controlling who needs to know. Then you will have less unwanted pregnancies. Get a grip!

[Parsifal_tx]

The federal government is bloated with debt and has too many entitlement programs, too many departments, and too large of a military complex to fund every little program that can funded on a local level. If the GOP were trying to repeal Roe vs Wade - I would understand why people are getting upset. But this is an organization that can be funded on a state and local level, along with thousands of other programs (GOP or Democratic favorites).

[jessytell]

Harry Reid is a monster playing politics while are men and women are in harms way. He is a disgrace to America and as anti America as they come. Planned Parenthood has no place in Gov spending. They should exist only as a privately funded organization.

[Parsifal_tx]

By the response, it's apparent that millions of American's really value the services provided by Planned Parenthood. I see no reason why Planned Parenthood should be dependent on government handouts were there is obviously a large pool of possible private donations. PP should not be subject to the political winds of DC and they can redirect their million dollars annual political campaign funds towards advertising.

[ruleoflaw22]

I doubt Harry Reid's numerous female relatives would be without cancer screenings if Planned Parenthood is defunded, or that they go to such a clinic for any medical care.

Next up on Harry's playlist of rants: "They're trying to starve the children." We're not buying it anymore. Time to stop the politicking and get down to some significant cuts in the budget. Everything should be on the table.

[saveus2012]

Why does Harry want to keep killing future Democrat voters? Doesn't make sense to me.

[documemts]

Giv'em hell Harry!

[chiefbraveman]

Harry Reid is a creaking old cadaver. Nevadans now wish they had elected Sharron Angle.

[obboy2037]

Not true.

There are a lot of women in Nevada and they appreciate having health services.

[retm-w]

And boehner is a cry baby.

[reenee2]

If they are not primarily an abortion provider then Planned Parenthood will not be needed because Obamacare supposedly will cover most of the services that PP provides when implemented, right? I personally do not want my tax dollars going for abortions and according to a "fact sheet" published by the organization, Planned Parenthood Affiliate Health Centers performed 324,008 abortions in 2008, the last year I could find data. Planned Parenthood received $349.6 million in tax dollars in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2008, and it paid its president, Cecile Richards, $385,163, plus another $11,876 in benefits and deferred compensation. There has to be a better use for this kind of money.

According to a "fact sheet" published by the organization, Planned Parenthood Affiliate Health Centers performed 324,008 abortions in 2008.

[obboy2037]

We are talking about the budget in fiscal 2011.

Planned Parenthood is primarily a "well woman" health care organization.

It is already against the law to use tax money for abortions. That part of the PP operation is financed by private donations.

This whole "defund PP rider" is ridiculous and nothing but the fake conservatives of the social HUGE government-in-the-bedroom type trying to rule the lives of others!

Do you have a problem with people being paid to work?

[CurtisJasper]

Fewer than 3% of PP visits involve abortion or abortion counseling. Sorry it that fact hampers your bible-thumping misogyny.