Politics

House GOP Alters Coin Bill Amid Abortion Controversy

Republicans had delayed the measure because it would have sent money to a group with ties to Planned Parenthood.

By Daniel Newhauser and National Journal
Washington, UNITED STATES: Breast cancer survivors from the Pink Ladies of Charles County in Maryland L-R: Jean Faber, Bobbie Rose, Martha Northrup, Carol Russell and Anne Griffith the groups co-founder do a little dance 26 April, 2007 at the Komen Community Challenge rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure released the "Breast Cancer Mortality Report: Closing the Gaps in Eight Communities," which gives an in depth look into eight communities with unusually high breast cancer mortality rates.  AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER (Photo credit should read KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images) (National Journal)

House Republicans corrected a legislative stumble Wednesday, removing a breast-cancer organization as the financial beneficiary of a commemorative-coin bill after members raised concerns about the group's ties to Planned Parenthood.

The bill was to be voted on Tuesday, the same day that an undercover video began to circulate on the Web appearing to show a Planned Parenthood official discussing the sale of body parts from aborted fetuses.

The video's interpretation by critics was disputed by the organization, but it nonetheless caused an uproar among antiabortion lawmakers, who removed their names as cosponsors of the bill en masse because it funneled money to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which has ties to Planned Parenthood. As a consequence, a vote on the bill was removed from the day's calendar.

On Wednesday afternoon, the House agreed unanimously to remove Susan G. Komen for the Cure from the legislation. The measure would have given some proceeds from the minting of commemorative coins to the Komen foundation and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Now the money will only go to the latter organization.

The House will vote on the measure later Wednesday. It is unclear whether the Senate will act to make the bill law.