Guest Column: The Case Against Family Planning Funding
During each legislative session, the Texas House and Senate make difficult choices about how to spend the people's money. In developing a two-year budget for the state, we must decide which programs to fund and at what level of funding, and we are presented with many worthy programs from which to choose.
The current budget cycle has been tougher than usual, as Texas is facing the most serious budget shortfall in recent memory. There is not enough money to meet all of our needs, so it is even more important that the Legislature follow Jefferson's admonition to be ...
Comments (44)
Joanne Richards
Rep. Hughes doesn't seem to understand that with these severe cuts in family planning services, rural health clinics will be forced to close because of lack of funds. Don't rural women deserve access to health care?
Cynthia Casper Robertson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I won't even waste spittle on the moronic commentary and ignorance of people like this schmuck. Such a very small part of what PP does is abortions but apparently this guy is a product of the failed Texas Education system and doesn't know how to read facts, understand data charts and last but not least, is sorely lacking in critical thinking skills. I wish he and his ilk would just go away and leave women alone. :(
Ted Prichard via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Less that 0.1% of female services are abortions and there are NO(!!!!!!!) Federal Funds used for abortions for Women! Get your head out of your Republican ASSES!
Holly Morgan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He's an idiot. They're setting women up to fail by cutting family planning $ and blocking access to legal, safe abortion at the same time.
Sarah Slamen via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Bryan Hughes wants poor women and young students in Texas to die of breast and cervical cancer. The budget crisis makes so much sense with reps like Bryan Hughes in place. Tell me, Hon. Rep. Hughes, when an organization like PPH provides 97% of services that AREN'T abortion, how does 3% of services serve as a guise? Do you know what the word guise means?
Susan Stella Floyd via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I refuse to even cede this much ground. Who cares what percentage of their services are abortions? THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ABORTION. Women have always had abortions, and will always have abortions. Deal with it.
Luisa Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
so many control freak men wanting to be Taliban towards women, such a shame
Susan Stella Floyd via Texas Tribune on Facebook
By the way, I am personally morally opposed to my tax dollars being used to bail out massive international financial institutions or to kill poor civilians abroad for oil. Can we make sure no tax dollars are used for those things? Didn't think so. Pro-life, my ass.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Cynthia, pick this up. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414339399?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwabbyjohnso-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=1414339399
Sarah Slamen via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Susan Stella Floyd for Texas House in 2012!
Bob Brown via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Joe I wonder how many anti-abortionists have had a conversion and taken their teenage daughters to Planned Parenthood to deal with a "problem", I am sure we will never know.
Lan Bentsen
Reducing family planning funding as a means of reducing abortions is incredibly backwards.
Reducing family planning by $60mm will lead directly to increased unintended births, infant mortality and life long disability - easily in the hundreds.
If you want to address abortions, then address abortions. But do not confuse abortions with family planning. The legislature has already addressed that.
Susan Stella Floyd via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Probably roughly the same percentage who socially demonize and legislatively criminalize homosexuals while trolling Grindr for clandestine blow jobs.
Aldo Merino via Texas Tribune on Facebook
That editorial is a waste of digital ink. What utter, baseless tripe.
Mary Morrison via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This is just another disingenuous attack on women's health by the far right. We are not fooled by your bogus claims regarding this budget. It is deliberately punitive toward women, and there is money in the so called "rainy day fund." You are absolutely right -- Hughes, women are a threat to the "sacred" status of white men, and we will remember your name for 2012. Please recall that in spite of all your efforts, women still vote. Like the Paul Ryan budget, yours is morally indefensible.
Joel Ward via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Let em have their abortions for gods sake... It is definitely not all that is provided by places like that.. It isn't our business what someone chooses to do to their body... It is theirs!
Evelyn White via Texas Tribune on Facebook
One more uninformed, right-wing nut case advocating: Keep 'em pregnant, keep 'em barefoot, and keep 'em at home. So.... 19th century.
Monica Krausse via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Lack of family planning leads directly to abortions.
Karen Brooks via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Brenda - it doesn't matter what it says in the second sentence on their Women's Health page. It's STILL a very small part of what PP does. It's 3 percent, period, no matter where they choose to put that service on their page. The fact that it's the first service listed on the left column is completely irrelevant. The facts are the facts. Plain and simple.
Thomas Prentice via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What a non-Jesuvian Christian this guy is. He needs to read Matthew 25 and probably memorize the entire chapter and stop trying to cut Planned Parenthood, Medicare, Medicaid, schools, etc.
Thomas Prentice via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He is NOT "serving the Lord" because he is NOT DOING ANYTHING that Jesus said in Matthew 25. The chapter is virtually ALL Jesus talking, the famous when you help "the least of these my brothers, you are helping me".
Thomas Prentice via Texas Tribune on Facebook
And, "when you do NOT help the least of these my brothers, you are not helping me." In other words, when you kill Medicare and Medicaid and try to privatize Social Security, the Republicans are NOT helping Jesus, they are hurting him.
Thomas Prentice via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Good chapter for anyone of any religion or spirituality. TOTALLY unemphasized by the extremist non-Jesuvian radical Christian Right/ Tea Party types and underemphasized in their "Biblically Literal" fundamentalist churches.
Wilkins Micawber
Representative Hughes, you base your argument on the assertion that "poll after poll has consistently shown that a significant majority do not want public funds used to pay for abortions."
PP does not receive state or public funding for providing abortions.
Your case against family planning is based on the argument that you can reduce the number of abortions PP is able to provide by forcing them to fund their family planning programs with funds that would otherwise be spent providing abortions. Does this honestly make sense?
In fact, the evidence is that family planning reduces the need or demand for abortion services. The elimination of family planning and contraception funding will almost certainly result in more unplanned pregnancies and more abortions.
Your argument is fallacious. Your case against family planning funding will only result in depriving poor and uninsured women of access to critical healthcare.
You are arguing a case FOR increasing the misery of thousands of people.
I would be interested to hear how you reconcile that position with the leadership role you serve in your church.
Sam Eder
I'm a guy and think it is great for a man like Rep. Hughes to have the balls to stand up and tell women what really constitutes their best interest when it comes to their own health care. History and, more importantly, the Bible has warned us about the feebleness of women and their erratic pea-sized brains. Rep. Hughes doesn't need a fancy medical degree to tell womenfolk what kind of services they really need, all he needs in this great state is at least 51% of the vote. Keep up the good work, Rep Hughes! Let's keep them barefoot and pregnant forever because, as all us men know, it really is what is best for them and for the country.
Now, with that screed over, can we talk about a bill to require women to wear burqas? For their own good, of course.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thomas, enough. People that think they know their "gods" thoughts on a political issue are really annoying and just a bit scary. I`m not for abortion, but neither am I for not allowing people to have one. I just don`t think the State should be funding them. If you use it as a primary means of birth control, take no other precautions, and get pregnant then it is a sign of stupidity. Taxpayers should not be punished for the stupidity of others, save the ones they elect, but that`s self inflicted.
Susan Stella Floyd via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I don't think the state should fund a lot of things. So what?
Amy Lambert via Texas Tribune on Facebook
There isn't a woman out there who uses abortion as a primary means of birth control. Enough with the mythology.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Sorry Amy, I know personally of two who have. You really ought to get out more. Like I said, if you want one get it, your problem. Just don`t ask me to help you pay for it, directly or indirectly, because Like I said it`s your problem.
Sarah Slamen via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This thread, wherein Joe Estep's antecdotes override the plethora of public health information available on the success of family planning methods effect on the rate at which abortions are utilitzed. TUNE IN LIVE!
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Sarah, while it may not be widespread it is also wrong to say it is a complete myth. I only took exception to the statement that Amy made that "There isn't a woman out there who uses abortion as a primary means of birth control". So what`s your point? This was a thread about the use of tax money directly or indirectly funding abortions, no one doubts that education on family planning would reduce the use of abortions.
Sam Eder via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@joe How "indirectly" is indirectly enough for you? No money goes to Planned Parenthood clinics that offer abortions. Women at those facilities actually pay if the choose to use that service (about 3% of everything done at those clinics, btw). We're talking about PP clinics that ONLY offer women's heath examines, pregnancy testing, birth control, cancer screening, pap swears, sex education, and std testing. If your argument is that just having an affiliation with Planned Parenthood is tantamount funding abortions, then I think the vast majority of people would think that you are willing to sacrifice the health of women to make a symbolic gesture against abortion.
Thomas Prentice via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Only 3% of the services provided by Planned Parenthood involve abortions. Stupid Rep. Sen. Jon nKyl of AZ once said it was "90%" but then took it back and fired his press secretary. Feminist and pro-abortion folk need to speak up about Keeping Abortion Legal.
Cynthia Casper Robertson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@ Brenda La Tremenda . . . given that I have 14 "likes" to my post and you have a big zipola, I raise you one and think that my critical thinking skills supersede your own interpretation. Your energy would probably be better served worrying about taking care of all of the unwanted children out there who are hungry and abused rather than rummaging around in the uteruses of women who are exercising their right to choose. An abortion is a far more cost-effective use of taxpayer money than kids in a foster care, crack babies, and general neglect period. Honey, rather than accuse Amy of being in fantasy land, you need look no further than the mirror.
Gloria Olsen
I am more sad than angry...what ignorance Rep Hughes displays; there are not enough "health clinics" in Texas to serve needy Texas women. How can such a viewpoint be considered "pro life" when thousands of Texas women will be without adequate family planning and other women's health services? And where is the extra $20 million that the LBB estimated this will cost Texas? A giant step backwards.
LuAnn Ferguson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Jeez, am I the only one who can figure out that abortion might be listed near the top if a list is made alphabetically?
sam kindle
the republicans steal and eat babies. these actions ensure a good supply. isn't it obvious. the pathological dismissal of blatant facts, the way they drool. there's no other explanation..........
Sarah Slamen via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Brenda knows SCORES of girls who have aborted! Can't you just see it now, all the girls making tough choices strolling up to sweet, non-judgemental Brenda to divulge about their private lives.
Margie Gaudin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
News flash: Abortion is a legal medical procedure. All these anti-government crusaders want to circumvent that fact. by over-governing. The irony.
George T. Contreras via Texas Tribune on Facebook
HOLY SMOKE... I thought the post for ALEX JONES was popular! Post more stuff like this TTribune.... the more outraged we are, the more ppl will realize what bass ackward thinking goes on in ATX.
James Gaston
If men could get pregnant, abortion wouldn't be an issue.
As one who grew up in Texas, reading this editorial reminds me of why I left, and never returned. Why don't you guys get on with it and secede? We would all be happier.
Elisabeth Netherton
I love that we have "no funds" for women's contraceptive services, but somehow will have funds (???) for the estimated 20,000 unplanned pregnancies that Health and Human Services estimate will result from that lack of contraception. Cradle to grave, those costs will be staggering to the state, and devastating to our already overwhelmed health, child protective, justice, and school systems.
Ronald Carter
America and Texas in particular has much to fear from Religious Extremists. They are only interested in their agenda. Their arguements are primitive assertions that if you do not agree you are a barbarian. Living under religious fascisism is no good for anyone.
The attempt to defund Planned Parenthood is hurting those who need regular health checkups and can not afford regular care. We should remind ourselves that less that 0.1% of female services are abortions and there are NO Federal Funds used for abortions for Women. That is already illegal. So why are they legislating?
Men seek dominion over women and use every justification. Who benefits: men. Who looses: everyone. When a woman has to raise an unwanted child alone, he can become a risk to society. Not all do: our President is a shinning example of a single parent raiseing a moral, and socially responsible human being. Many women are not as strong as our President's mother was. God Bless her.
It may take a while, but Texas will come back from the overreach of the G.O.P. majority that is taking a once vibrant social fabric and trying to turn it into a Gringo only party, run by rich, bribe taking or giving pols.
mo gl
But we aren't scouring EVERY expenditure.