Moderate Senate Republicans Step Up To Stop Defunding Of Planned Parenthood

Sen. Susan Collins from Maine

God bless the moderate Republicans in the U.S. Senate - sometimes, they are about the only thing that keeps their party from imploding from ignorance.

Today, three GOP Senators - Mark Kirk (R-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski(R-AK) - introduced a measure to stop fellow Repubs from defunding Planned Parenthood.

Collins led the charge on Senate floor Thursday announcing that defunding Planned Parenthood could lead to "the closure of several hundred clinics across the country, depriving millions of women of the health care provider of their choice."

Collins amendment was to strike language in the Senate's budget reconciliation bill, which redirected money from Planned Parenthoods to other community health clinics. Republican leaders included the defund language as a statement against Planned Parenthood, which sting videos alleged was selling fetal tissue.

Planned Parenthood has denied those accusations.

If the defunding language ends up being included, President Obama has pledged to veto the legislation.