without addressing Planned Parenthood funding
This seems noteworthy: At a GOP press conference earlier this afternoon, a reporter asked John Boehner whether defense spending levels in the ongoing budget negotiations were still an issue. Boehner flatly stated that defense spending issues had been resolved.
Then, in very next question, another reporter asked Boehner whether Planned Parenthood and Title X family planning funding were still an issue. Boehner took the fifth.
REPORTER #1: How much are DoD cuts an issue in this?DoD vs. domestic spending?BOEHNER: I think that issue has been pretty much resolved. There's a number, but it's not really in contention.
REPORTER #2: Mr. Speaker, the Senate Majority leader today said that you do have an agreement roughly around $30 billion in cuts, that the only thing that's holding this up is differences over Title X funding, is he just not telling the truth?
BOEHNER: I'm not sure what was said, I didn't hear it. All I can tell you is almost all the policy issues have been dealt with, and there is no agreement on the spending level, and we're working to try to get there.
REPORTER #3: You said almost all the policy issues have been dealt with. Is Planned Parenthood and Title X funding the issue you have a problem with?
BOEHNER: Almost all of the policy riders have been dealt with.
That Boehner would answer the question about defense spending but not family planning funding is pretty much all the confirmation you need that at this point, the major stumbling block to averting a government shutdown is the GOP's insistence on defunding Planned Parenthood.
The GOP really needs to figure out a way to crawl back from the ledge on this one.
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