Democrats Ready To Pull Subsidies For Condoms, Abortions Out Of Stimulus Bill
It’s amazing what the harsh light of the public spotlight will do to porked up spending bills. Obama threw the idea under the bus yesterday, now Democrats are scattering from it like bugs streaming out from under a lifted rock.
WASHINGTON - 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.
What I hope doesn’t happen is for Republicans to hang this scalp on their belts, pat themselves on the back for a job well done, and let the rest of the steaming pile of horse pucky make it through Congress. Only 3% of the “stimulus” is to be spent on actual infrastructure (roads and bridges), and even that spending isn’t going to stimulate the economy unless you buy into the broken window fallacy.
Republicans need to block the stimulus bill, not declare victory out of minimizing a few of the most odious chunks of it.
