Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
House Republicans shot down a request that would have allowed the Department of Health and the Agency for Health Care Administration to continue contracting with Planned Parenthood for women’s health services.
The request came after nearly two hours of discussion, much of which was directed to the Planned Parenthood language, on the House’s proposed health care budget Wednesday.
The state House voted 36-72 on the amendment, offered by House Minority Leader Mark Pafford.
“This is about women’s health,” said Pafford. “This amendment is important.”
The health care budget singles out Planned Parenthood, a reproductive health provider, and says no money set aside for the Agency for Health Care Administration or Department of Health “may be provided to Planned Parenthood … directly or indirectly.”
The budget language was discussed at length Wednesday, as lawmakers began discussions on the $79.9 billion budget. Rep. Matt Hudson, the chairman of the health care appropriations subcommittee, said contracts with Planned Parenthood exist in a few counties — Collier, Palm Beach, Orange, Osceola, Sarasota and Duval counties — across the state. In each of those counties, Hudson said, there are “alternative providers that are being utilized.”
During the 90 minute question and answer period, Hudson was repeatedly asked why the state was trying to defund Planned Parenthood. Hudson said the Legislature never “directly appropriated” funding to Planned Parenthood.
“It is the prerogative of the Legislature to appropriate. That is our jobs. We have a check and balance within our government, and as we appropriate, the governor is certainly free to agree to or to veto,” said Hudson. “Nowhere along the line have we ever directly appropriated to that organization and yet, we find out that they are in fact appropriated.”
As lawmakers debated the Pafford amendment, Democrats said they were concerned that Republicans were trying to dictate policy by inserting it in the state budget.
“I’m concerned about policy winding up in the appropriations process,” said Rep. Jared Moscowitz.
The state House is set to vote on the full budget Thursday.
