A couple of days ago, the 114th United States Congress opened its doors, now graced by a new Republican majority. Within 24 hours, the Republicans voted on several bills to begin the process of preparing for President-Elect Trump. As the first pieces of the Affordable Care Act were brought to reexamination, rumbles of defunding Planned Parenthood echoed across the country. Many turned to social media to voice discontent with the possibility of such an action. While the Republican party of old may have vehemently opposed Planned Parenthood, the current party would be wise to continue supporting it.
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America has always been a controversial organization. Opponents of the organization cite founder Margaret Sanger's beliefs in eugenics and the providing of abortion services. Planned Parenthood is America's largest provider of abortion services, providing approximately 324,000 procedures a year. Most opponents also debate the morality of the procedure, citing religious arguments and moral reservations. From a conservative viewpoint, there is much to not like about the organization, especially the $530 million the non-profit receives from the government in the form of Medicaid reimbursements yearly.
While Planned Parenthood does offer abortions, the organization also offers family planning services and general health care for women. They also provide advocacy work for local communities. In a 2015 poll, 59% of Americans view Planned Parenthood favorably. 47% of the country also identifies as pro-choice, compared to 46% pro-life.
So what does this all mean? Why should a party that has stood against an issue for decades turn heel now? The answer: the Rust Belt. While most of the last election cycle was unprecedented, it was capped off by a thorough rejection of the political elite of both parties. Trump's election was also composed of the victory of several states that had not voted red in years. This "re-centralization" under President-Elect Trump has reformed the Republican party into less of a "hard right" party and into more of a politically moderate sense.
While many have griped about VP-Elect Mike Pence's evangelical social views, Trump ran on the most LGBT friendly platform that any Republican ever ran on. Trump is also anti-war, while Clinton had an established history of war hawking. These traditionally liberal stances attracted millions in the rust belt to vote Republican, allowing for them to pull off the upset. Donald Trump also won more democrats than Clinton won Republicans.This suggests an overlap between the two parties.
So in its current iteration, the Republican party is a centrist party, combining socially liberal policies with economic conservatism. This is what led to the sweeping victories won on November 8. The quandary of Planned Parenthood is what will decide whether or not the Republican majority will stand. If the current Congress defunds it, it will lose the support of cross-over Democrats. If it were allowed to stand, the Republican party will continue it's motion into the 21st Century, a movement that would benefit all Americans.
The country demonstrated in November that it desires change, a minor change in the GOP doctrine would assert it as truly listening to the people. The same people that felt forgotten by the DNC are making themselves heard again, and it is a resounding cry in support for Planned Parenthood.
