Congressional Democrats might be backing away from including family planning funding in Obama’s proposed $825 million “stimulus” plan. Jon and Roy discussed this topic yesterday.
Reports the Associated Press:
House Democrats are likely to jettison family planning funds for the low-income from an $825 billion economic stimulus bill, officials said late Monday, following a personal appeal from President Barack Obama at a time the administration is courting Republican critics of the legislation.
Several officials said a final decision was expected on Tuesday, coinciding with Obama’s scheduled visit to the Capitol for separate meetings with House and Senate Republicans.
The provision has emerged as a point of contention among Republicans, who criticize it as an example of wasteful spending that would neither create jobs nor otherwise improve the economy.
Under the provision, states no longer would be required to obtain federal permission to offer family planning services ? including contraceptives ? under Medicaid, the health program for the low-income.
Meanwhile, White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told CNSNews.com said that including the funding was not President Obama’s idea.
Maybe. But the proposal is not inconsistent with Obama’s previous statements on family planning (see “above my pay grade” and “punished with a baby”.
Predictably, the lefty bloggers are having conniptions. This one asks if Obama is caving in to the right wing on the family planning funding. Funny, I thought the right wing was vanquished.
