Posted on 01/27/2009 9:59:07 AM PST by wagglebee
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- After a national pro-life outcry following news that Congressional Democrats placed a bailout for the Planned Parenthood abortion business in the economic stimulus bill, President Barack Obama has urged party leaders to remove it. Obama is expected to tell Congressional Republicans today during a meeting.
Republican leaders, including House Minority Leader John Boehner complained bitterly about the plan sending money to Planned Parenthood.
Boehner said there is no reason for an economic package to contain funds for the nation's largest abortion business by qualifying more people for family planning funds under Medicaid.
During a Friday House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing, Congressional Demcorats added a provision in the legislation that clears the way for expanded federal funding of contraceptives through Medicaid for those who aren't even poor.
A Clinton-era program allows states to seek a waiver to offer Medicaid family planning services -- including people who are not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid. If they seek the waiver, the federal government matches the state funding with $9 for every $1. The panel eliminated the waiver requirement.
Under the new provision, all 50 states will now offer Medicaid family planning services (including contraception) with the federal government offering the same $9 to $1 match. Although the money doesn't fund abortions directly, it goes to Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business, which would otherwise have to spend its own money on contraception.
Boehner is scheduled to host the president at a lunch today, where Obama is reportedly planning to tell him that he has asked Rep. Henry Waxman, a top pro-abortion Democrat and committee chair, to remove the Planned Parenthood funding provision from the bill.
Obama is reportedly agreeing to strike the provision.
Over the weekend, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended the provision and appeared to indicate she though children were a burden to the economy.
"Well, the family-planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost," she said on ABC.
That drew guffaws from groups throughout the pro-life movement.
Pro-life advocates say the governmental funds free up Planned Parenthood dollars to promote and perform abortions that it would otherwise have to spend on family planning.
House Republican Leader John Boehner told LifeNews.com he is dismayed about the inclusion of the provision.
"Regardless of where anyone stands on taxpayer-funding for contraceptives and the abortion industry, there is no doubt that this once little-known provision in the congressional Democrats spending plan has nothing to do with stimulating the economy and creating more American jobs," he said.
"How you can spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives how does that stimulate the economy? You can go through a whole host of issues that have nothing to do with growing jobs in America and helping people keep their jobs," he added.
Boehner said that as more people learn about "this revelation about the congressional Democrats plans to force taxpayers to subsidize contraception and the abortion industry, the American people" will be upset.
If Obama can cave this easily, this could be an important weapon for conservatives in the next two years.
Nice to see that Obama can respond to an outcry like this. That does “bode well” actually.
I’m glad to see this...
We are going to bail out the abortion industry and bath houses before this is done.
That assumes there's actually some conservatives left in DC.
Indeed!
He didn’t want it in there to begin with...from what I can tell-pure Nancy.
Pro-Life Ping
Herz Royal Hineyezz will remember this.
She will win in the end, Barry boy.
Watch out though..these sneaky snakes will try to divert taxpayer funds through some backdoor method of deception.
These are vile creatures of the dark hellbent on greasing the palms of PP and other abortionists for votes. They would sell their souls to the devil for another term in office. Just ask the 50 million or so aborted babies who were pro-choiced to extinction.
Now on to ACORN!
Republicans Object to Stimulus Dollars for ACORN
Translation:
A whole bunch of Democratic congressmen called Obama and said they didn’t want to run against population control in the stimulus package in 2010.
What about the planned Billions for ACORN?
Obama translation: There are 10 other ways they can expand their pro-death agenda....and they’ll be less visible. Drop the subject for now, and we’ll do it another way.
Good...one dumb policy down....how many to go? Get rid of the ACORN funding next.
Maybe the O can be pushed around....looks like he wants everyone to ‘love’ him.
Yep, except that we still have an idiot for Speaker of the House.
Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.
FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
Good. If he does something right, I’ll applaud it.
I’m applauding.
Don’t applaud him, any more than a prisoner should applaud his guards for laying down 39 lashes rather than 40.
Even if the ONLY reason he did something right was because he saw the writing on the wall.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.