ABCNews.com Laments Planned Parenthood Defunding Motion Passed Despite Speech by Pro-Choice Congresswoman

February 18th, 2011 4:09 PM

Earlier this afternoon, the House of Representatives voted for an amendment to a spending bill that would strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding.

Much of the debate on the measure happened last night, including a speech in opposition of the move by a Democratic congresswoman, Jackie Speier (D-Calif.),  who recalled her own abortion procedure.

After the vote came down today, ABCNews.com's Matthew Jaffe and John Parkinson posted an article that was skewed in favor of supporters of Planned Parenthood, featuring a video of Speier's nearly 3-minute-long speech and quoting heavily from that speech.

"Amendment Passes Despite Stunning Personal Testimony From Rep. Jackie Speier," lamented the subheadline to the story. [see screen capture after page break]

Although Jaffe and Parkinson also quoted a tiny bit of  the speech by pro-life Rep. Chris Smith's (R-N.J.) that aroused Speier's anger, the ABCNews.com staffers failed to include any video of that speech or indeed any speech by a proponent of ending Planned Parenthood's federal funding.

Jaffe and Parkinson closed the article with the reaction to the 240-185 vote by a Planned Parenthood official:

After Friday's vote, Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, released a statement calling Repblican lawmakers "out of control" and "extreme".

 

"The new anti-choice House leadership promised a jobs agenda and is now waging a war on contraception," Keenan said. "This is why elections matter. In the past, we had the votes to beat attacks like this amendment, but a new wave of anti-choice politicians is voting to take away women's access to birth control. These lawmakers are out of control, and we hold them accountable for their actions. As the debate goes to the Senate, our members will tell senators that they must put a stop to this extreme anti-choice agenda."