The Congressional Review Act “provides a streamlined process for Congress to disapprove a final rule without threat of filibuster”. The CRA has been used only on several occasions. However look for it to become an integral tool used by the GOP Congress to roll back Obama’s legacy.
House Republicans will vote next week to liberate states from an Obama rule requiring them to subsidize Planned Parenthood.
In one of his last actions, Obama effectively forced states to fund Planned Parenthood. Many states have policies barring state funds for the abortion giant, and Obama’s 11th-hour executive order prohibited such policies.
Next week, the House plans to use the Congressional Review Act to repeal that Obama regulation — a first salvo in their fight to roll back Obama’s legacy on abortion.
According to congressional aides, the vote is scheduled for late next week and will specifically axe Obama’s Title X rule. During his final weeks in office, Obama finalized the regulation, explicitly barring states from pulling federal grant money from clinics that provide abortion.
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told The Washington Examiner that the effort is about “protecting life and stopping the federal government from forcing states to support abortion.”
“The federal government should not be sending taxpayer dollars to abortion providers, and it shouldn’t force states to do so either,” McCarthy said in a statement. “Overturning this regulation from the Obama Administration not only allows states to freely choose pro-life policies, but will protect the lives of the weakest and least powerful among us.”
Before the Obama rule went into effect, 15 states had defunded Planned Parenthood on their own. Should the bill make it to President Trump’s desk and receive his signature, it would put Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding at risk. Currently, Republicans enjoy complete control of half the states.
Echoing Speaker Paul Ryan, McCarthy insisted the legislation wouldn’t keep women from receiving reproductive care. Instead it would allow states to use Title X money for “other community health centers and hospitals that offer more comprehensive service.”
Altogether, the effort will serve as a dress rehearsal for the coming fight over Planned Parenthood. Since Obama left office, Republicans have eagerly set about demolishing his legacy using the Congressional Review Act. This is the first time it’s been applied to the abortion issue.