Family Life

03.02.11 | Sarah Harnisch

   New York Senator Chuck Schumer was caught on camera in an off moment at a pro-choice Planned Parenthood rally this week. Right now, the Senate is poised to vote on a bill called the Pence Amendment that would strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding. In New York state alone, there are 68 Planned Parenthood centers, all of which offer elective abortions. None of the cash is directly used to perform abortions, but it is used to keep the centers open-- the lights on and the heating bill paid. 48 other organizations receive 10-million-dollars a year in Title X federal funds in New York state alone for reproductive healthcare.
    Schumer said the Senate moves pretty slow, but in this case, if it causes Planned Parenthood to loose its funding, their pace is a good thing. The longer this takes, the better, he said. Here he is caught joking about it once reporters walked away.
   This clip was captured by a Huffington Post reporter a few feet away. Schumer said some have argued the Pence Amendment is unconstitutional because it targets a specific group. The bill already passed the U.S. House on February 18th, but it faces an uncertain future in the democratic Senate.