On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a controversial bill, revoking all government funding from Planned Parenthood, America's largest abortion-providing organization.
The bill sparked a great deal of outrage, and many saw it as an infringement on the ruling on Roe v. Wade. While the bill couldn't restrict a woman's right to an abortion, it was argued that cutting the organization's funding would restrict a woman's access to an abortion in a manner that was unacceptable.
In addition, the bill was passed primarily due to outrage over a Planned Parenthood video that was later revealed to be doctored.
The video appeared to show a Planned Parenthood worker giving advice on how underage prostitutes could have abortions without parental consent. That was later, however, revealed to be the work of clever video editing.
Unfortunately, it didn't matter much. The damage had already been done, and the wave of anti-Planned Parenthood sentiment was in full force. Much like ACORN, which was taken down last year by a similarly doctored video, the Republicans were determined to take Planned Parenthood down.
Despite all this, however, the bill actually has very little chance of becoming law. While it was able to pass in the Republican-controlled House, it would have very little chance of passing in the Senate.
Even if it the bill did somehow make it through both legislative bodies, President Obama, who, while opposing abortion on a personal level, considers himself pro-choice, would almost certainly veto it.
The problem with this bill passing isn't so much the theoretical restriction it would place on a woman's right to have an abortion. Frankly, it's a giant waste of America's time.
The Republicans who passed this bill in the House know that it will fail in the Senate, and are simply doing this as a symbolic gesture to the left.
Congress is supposed to be passing actual meaningful legislation, not engaging in "symbolic" gestures that only exist to express irritation with the other side.
We saw the same thing happen last month when the House Republicans passed their meaningless "repeal" of Obama's health care plan.
Americans expect their leaders to get things done, and so far the Republican-controlled House has not worked toward that. While these symbolic gestures may please their own base, they are meaningless when it comes to actually affecting law.
If the GOP wants to get something done during the next two years, it will need to change its attitude. Passing legislation like this only contributes to the divisive state of our nation, and doesn't make any significant progress.
