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The House Budget Committee approved Republican legislation Friday that would scuttle President Barack Obama's health care law, block federal payments to Planned Parenthood — and likely lead to a presidential veto. The measure is the latest of many GOP measures that have been aimed at both targets but that Democrats have managed to derail in the Senate. This time, Republicans are using a special process that would prevent Democratic senators from using filibusters, or procedural delays, to kill the measure. That means there's a strong chance the legislation will reach Obama — who would be certain to veto it. Republicans are pushing it anyway as a vehicle to highlight their views to conservatives ahead of next year's presidential and congressional elections. (Fram, 10/9)

the use of fetal tissue from abortions is now coming under attack by conservative Republicans who have been thwarted in their attempt to defund Planned Parenthood for the part it plays in providing the material to labs. Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to establish a 13-member panel that will investigate fetal tissue procurement as well as abortion procedures. (Radelat, 10/9)

Since taking over in 1997, [Thomas J.] Donohue has transformed the chamber into a powerful lobbying force, an evolution most starkly epitomized by its aggressive advocacy for tobacco. While the organization represents a variety of industries, its strategy has been a boon for cigarette makers, which have relied heavily on the chamber to push their agenda at home and abroad. (Hakim, 10/9)