Jindal disappointed Branstad not canceling Planned Parenthood contracts

CEDAR RAPIDS - Call it a disagreement between friends.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is disappointed that his friend and colleague Gov. Terry Branstad so far hasn't joined his efforts to defund Planned Parenthood in response to videos that suggest the health care provider was illegally selling fetal tissue.

Jindal, who was in Eastern Iowa this week campaigning for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, suggested Branstad is being too timid in defunding Planned Parenthood, which gets no state or federal money for abortions, but is reimbursed for other services provided to Medicaid patients.

However, in Cedar Rapids Thursday, he downplayed his criticism of his fellow Republican who happens to be governor of the state hosting the first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses.

'I like Terry. He's a friend. We've known each other for a long time. I just disagree with him on this issue,” Jindal said before speaking to the Linn County Republican Eagles at the Cedar Rapids Country Club.

It's more than a friendly dispute between Branstad and The Family Leader, a Christian conservative organization led by Bob Vander Plaats, who ran against Branstad in the 2010 Republican primary. The group asked Jindal to write to Branstad to explain how Iowa could defund Planned Parenthood.

Jindal did recently call Branstad, Branstad spokesman Ben Hammes said Friday, 'but Planned Parenthood was never mentioned.”

Friday, The Family Leader crowed that Branstad ran into the group's legal counsel, Chuck Hurley, and told him Chuck to 'call off your attack dogs.”

The impromptu meeting made two things clear, Vander Plaats said in an email to the membership. 'First: You're getting to him.”

Their phone calls, emails and support of The Family Leader's 'Keep Your Promise” TV ad campaign 'are making an impact on the governor,” he said.

The governor also agreed to meet with Vander Plaats's group 'to hear how he can defund Planned Parenthood in Iowa … now,” Vander Plaats said.

The governor's office and The Family Leader's representatives have met in the past 'and we will continue to have dialogue, though no meeting has been set,” Hammes said.

However, he added, 'The governor isn't interested in a back-and-forth but in acting in the best interests of advancing the pro-life cause.”

In the meantime, Jindal plans to continue encouraging Branstad and all governors to join him in defunding Planned Parenthood. He understands that Branstad believes the organization would sue the state, but Jindal thinks there would be strength in numbers.

'To me these videos were barbaric,” he said. If every governor canceled funding for Planned Parenthood they might get sued. 'If every governor did that, they can't come after all of us.

However, not only has Branstad rejected the advice of Jindal and Vander Plaats, the state has no plans to sever its relationship with Planned Parenthood as it contracts with four private companies to manage care for eligible Medicaid recipients. Managed care organizations are lining up their provider networks for the changeover to the privatized system to begin Jan. 1.

Charles Palmer, director of the state Department of Human Services, said Planned Parenthood will continue to be a qualified provider for services covered by the government program funded by federal and state sources under the new Medicaid modernization approach.

'We're not changing any of the services that are been built in to this from day one,” he said. 'So the services that Medicaid would have paid for previously and the provider system that is related to Planned Parenthood would be built into this.”

Jindal didn't limit his criticism to Branstad and fellow governors who haven't canceled funding for Planned Parenthood. He also blamed what he calls the 'surrender caucus” of congressional Republicans who have chosen not to redirect about $500 million in federal funds away from Planned Parenthood to health care providers that don't also perform abortions.

'They say they can't stop Obamacare, they can't stop amnesty, they can't stop the Iran deal, they can't stop Planned Parenthood,” Jindal said. 'I think voters are just looking for leaders who will go fight for us.”

'In Louisiana we're going to stand strong. We're going to fight this,” Jindal said. 'We're not backing down.”

Des Moines bureau reporter Rod Boshart contributed to this story.