The U.S. House passed a pretty major budget reconciliation legislation that would defund Planned Parenthood and reallocates taxpayer dollars to comprehensive health care centers. It is a big deal.

I don’t really care that it ended up on the president’s desk like Paul Ryan does. I mean, we all know where the president stands on this. The main thing is that the GOP used the reconciliation process to defund Planned Parenthood. A few years ago this wouldn’t have happened. Pro-lifers have relentlessly pushed this action and finally (FINALLY) the GOP seems to have made this a priority.

Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said, “For the first time since America’s largest abortion business began receiving public funding – nearly five decades ago – the president will have to decide up or down on legislation to defund Planned Parenthood. It is the first bill ever to get to the president’s desk that would achieve this longtime pro-life goal, and reallocate taxpayer funding to comprehensive health care centers,” said SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser.

“The reconciliation process established an important precedent for the next administration,” she continued. “If Americans elect a pro-life president this year, and safeguard our pro-life majorities in Congress, this bill – and many others – could be law by 2017.”

Now, of course, Republicans are still unwilling to shut down the government over this which is a disappointment but hey, progress is progress. And let’s face it, we’re not going to see anything like that in an election year.

But the key is that the Republicans ran an end around on the Democrats ability to filibuster so that if we get a bill to a pro-life president’s desk, this could actually happen.

So, to be clear, this isn’t so much a big deal as it says that a big deal is possible. Which is a big deal.

*subhead*Big deal.*subhead*