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Abortion Funding Fight Threatens Gov't Shutdown

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A showdown over abortion funding is threatening a potential government shutdown, with the House voting 241-187 Friday in favor of legislation that would defund Planned Parenthood.

The news comes as gruesome undercover videos of Planned Parenthood executives haggling over aborted baby parts are once again taking center stage.

"Anyone who has watched this video tape - I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes, watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking, while someone says, 'We have to keep it alive to harvest its brain,'" former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina challenged during Wednesday's Republican presidential debate.

"This is about the character of our nation and if we will not stand up and force President Obama to veto this bill, shame on us!" she said.

Now some conservatives in Congress say they will not support a spending bill to keep the government open unless that funding is cut off.

The controversy erupted this summer when 10 undercover videos emerged showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of the body parts of aborted babies. Planned Parenthood said the videos are a smear campaign.

That charge didn't stop House lawmakers from freezing funding to the nation's largest abortion provider for a year while Congress investigates the group's activities.

The House also approved a bill tightening restrictions on abortion doctors who violate infant protections.

Earlier Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., noted that her bill to defund Planned Parenthood won't hurt women's healthcare.

She wants to funnel the funding away from America's biggest abortion provider, to give it to 13,000 facilities that do provide healthcare for women.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the goal is to "stop these grisly practices" but admitted it will be difficult to get the bills through the Senate.

But Black said she will personally call "every senator" she knows to demand the Senate vote on the issue.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the president will veto any bill that defunds Planned Parenthood.

While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he's confident there won't be a government shutdown, people on both sides don't show any signs of backing down.

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George
Thomas

Born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and of Indian descent, CBN News’ Senior International Correspondent and Co-Anchor, George Thomas, has been traveling the globe for more than 20 years, finding the stories of people, conflicts, and issues that must be told. He has reported from more than 100 countries and has had a front-row seat to numerous global events of our day. George’s stories of faith, struggle, and hope combine the expertise of a seasoned journalist with the inspiration of a deep calling to tell the stories of the people behind the news. “I’ve always liked discovering & exploring new