Sen. Rand Paul is trying to get Senate leaders to defund Planned Parenthood by the end of the month as part of a must-pass highway bill.

The Kentucky Republican and presidential candidate introduced an amendment Wednesday to prohibit federal funds from going to the women's health and abortion provider and all its affiliate clinics. Planned Parenthood received about $520 million last year through Medicaid and congressional appropriations.

"The continued disregard and disrespect for human life at Planned Parenthood, a partially taxpayer-funded organization, is shocking and appalling," Paul said in a statement referring to two recent, undercover videos featuring top Planned Parenthood officials discussing how some clinics collect aborted fetal organs for medical research.

"Recent video revelations, involving potentially criminal activity, make it more obvious than ever that this organization has absolutely zero respect for the sanctity of human life and is an affront to the most basic human dignity enshrined in our founding documents," Paul said.

It's not clear whether Paul's amendment will actually get a vote, though. While GOP leaders intend to allow amendments to the highway bill, they haven't started the process and just one senator can stop an amendment vote in its tracks.

Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., is pushing a similar defunding bill in the House, but it's unlikely that bill would get a vote before the August recess.