Conservative lies: Wasteful spending on contraception hurts our economic stimulus package.

House Minority leader Boehner is at it again, only this time him, along with his conservative colleagues, are suggesting that since the stimulus bill has a section about state coverage of family planning, this somehow translates to, “hundreds of millions on contraceptives.” The actual text published originally at Think Progress reads,

State Option to Cover Family Planning Services. Under current law, the Secretary has the authority under section 1115 of the Social Security Act to grant waivers to states to allow them to cover family planning services and supplies to low-income women who are not otherwise eligible for Medicaid. The bill would give states the option to provide such coverage without obtaining a waiver. States could continue to use the existing waiver authority if they preferred.

As Pelosi explained, covering family planning services will actually reduce costs in the state since it will increase the effectiveness with which states can address the needs of their residents, along with bypassing excess administration. It appears that one of the main differences in what is considered effective cost cutting between the right and the left is that the right believes that just denying those that “haven’t worked hard enough to deserve it” will save the economy, where as it is seems liberals recognize the governments responsibility in providing for its people in the most efficient way possible.
Pelosi’s comments were grossly misinterpreted as suggesting that, “birth control will help the economy” and Rush Limbaugh even had the audacity to suggest that if we want to keep pregnancy rates down to, “post a picture of Pelosi in every motel room in America,” but more on that later. Apparently, the GOP is hanging on to every last argument they can, no matter how banal and imprecise. It is clear that state spending on family planning services not only save the state money and time, but have greater long-term benefits for the health of our people.
UPDATE: Obama might drop funds for family planning from the economic stimulus package. Argh!.

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