I saw Al Mohler of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary tweet out this link earlier today. [mc_name name=’Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’M000355′ ] is calling on Planned Parenthood being defunded.

I hope McConnell will stick with this, even at the risk of President Obama shutting down the government in the fight. But we should remember that we are at this point because of legislation McConnell supported.

In 1991, Democrats introduced legislation to allow tissue donation for experimentation from elective abortions. President George H. W. Bush was vehemently opposed to the legislation. Nonetheless, it passed the House of Representatives with 274 votes.

It also passed the Senate with Mitch McConnell voting for the legislation.

McConnell again voted for the legislation after a conference committee reconciled the House and Senate versions.

President Bush stuck to his guns and vetoed the legislation, which the House of Representatives failed to override on June 24, 1992.

On June 25, 1992, one day later, the legislation was again introduced in the Senate. On October 2, 1992, Mitch McConnell joined the Democrats in support of fetal tissue sales. Luckily, Senators, including [mc_name name=’Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’H000338′ ] and Jesse Helms filibustered and ran out the clock.

But it was reintroduced on January 21, 1993, the day after Bill Clinton’s inauguration. It passed the Senate on February 18, 1993, with McConnell’s vote. It passed the House and was signed into law by Bill Clinton on June 10, 1993.

Again, George H. W. Bush and conservatives opposed the legislation because it used federal tax dollars to do research on aborted children from Planned Parenthood. McConnell stood with the Democrats in support of the legislation.

I hope he has learned his lesson and will fight on this hill, even risking blame in the media for a government shutdown, but the pro-life movement should be wary of promises.