Williams, Cruz will not support funding for Planned Parenthood

Two Washington lawmakers who represent the Killeen area have said they will not support funding the federal government if Congress does not take away funding from Planned Parenthood.

The federal government faces a possible partial shutdown if Congress does not pass a funding bill by Oct. 1.

According to the Associated Press, a band of conservatives, including Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, say they will not back legislation financing government agencies unless the block blocks federal payments to Planned Parenthood.

Williams, along with 30 other conservative lawmakers, signed a letter authored by Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., sent to Speaker of the House John Boehner saying he will not support funding for Planned Parenthood.

"The recent allegations against Planned Parenthood are morally reprehensible," said Williams. "There is no justification for the American people to finance an organization that has such disregard for human life."

According to the AP, Republican opposition to Planned Parenthood and abortion became reignited this summer by secretly-recorded videos showing organization officials discussing how they sometimes provide tissue from aborted fetuses for medical researchers

Last month, Williams called for the removal of funding for Planned Parenthood while visiting the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center.

"The Austin Pregnancy Resource Center respects and protects the sanctity of life – plain and simple," said Williams. "Organizations like this one are what we should be rooting for."

In an op-ed published by USA Today, Cruz, who is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. president in 2016, said he urges Congress to defund Planned Parenthood and called for the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an investigation into potential criminal actions within the abortion industry.

"An organization that generates a large part of its revenue from terminating innocent human life should not receive one penny of taxpayer money and those who engage in what may be criminal activity must be held to account," Cruz said. "…The abortion industry places more value on killing babies than it does on the sanctity of human life, and under no circumstance should it receive taxpayer funds. This is more than a mere fiscal matter — this is a moral issue. How we handle this issue reflects who we are as Americans and what we value most — either the lives of the most innocent and the health of our nation's mothers, daughters and sisters or the fiscal solvency of an industry that exists to abort babies."

Corry Schiermeyer, press secretary for Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, said Carter has not made any decisions yet because nothing has been proposed.

Sen. John Cornyn said he does not support a shutdown because it will do more harm than good for the pro-life agenda.

"There are other good ideas that I think are a better use of our energy and attention," Cornyn said. "I don't believe a shutdown is what I got elected to do. I think we got elected to govern. It is not always easy, but I think trying to make some progress in the pro-life agenda is a more constructive use of our time and energy."