Perry Says Women's Health Program Won't Die
Gov. Rick Perry notified President Obama on Thursday that Texas will find the money to continue to fund the Women’s Health Program, no matter what the federal government does. But Planned Parenthood won't be allowed to participate — and the program may no longer be affiliated with Medicaid.
“We’re going to fund this program. … That’s a moot point,” Perry said. He declined to say where he'd get the roughly $35 million the federal government provides every year, but told reporters that the state would not drop the program that has become a political football between Washington ...
Comments (62)
Carolyn Qualls via Texas Tribune on Facebook
maroon!
Michael Coffelt via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Bill White for Texas!!!
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What a jerk TEA-xas is stuck with as its governor.
Ken Bielicki via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hypocrite prefers an over reaching state govt
Neil Moyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Abort, abort! Governorship in peril...
Mark Paulson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
His administration has redistricted the way any dictator would. Why not try and win fair and square Rick? What are you afraid of, Texas going blue again, back to the way Texas was when it was fought for, founded, then run for 150 years until about 1980?
A Lerma Stickelbault via Texas Tribune on Facebook
rick is such a crybaby......what an embarrassment he is to the state of Texas.
Vibeke Mendonca Lee via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Rick Perry is one good reason why Federal law supercedes State law.
Rick Scott McGuckin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Womp wawawawawa (sad trombone)
Adrian Reyna via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Perry is an angry man
Debbie Spencer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yeah, he's angry that Texans have woken up to his bullshit.
Kathy Kennemer Genet via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If you can't win on your ideas, platform and policy... redistrict!
Tracy Griffith via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Those darn judges.
Kim Hughes Jones via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Churn Head
Russell Stone via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He's just mad he got called on the carpet for his crooked ways.
Kathryn Hearn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
"We crafted a good plan" Good for whom- just you and your cronies? You're supposed to be governor for all Texans.
Lee Dunkelberg via Texas Tribune on Facebook
“We crafted a good plan and these judges decided they were gonnna stick their nose in it and fouled it up," Perry said during a radio interview today.
TRANSLATION - "We got caught, dammit. Dewhurst promised the Dems would wimp out."
Robert Sheldon via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What a slut and whore, he makes his money with his mouth!
Sean Riley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
All I know is I wanted to vote on Super Tuesday, and now the nomination is going to be sewn up before I get to.
Why? Because of some BS "racial accomodation" that took my vote away from me!
What happened? Democrats didn't feel like RUNNING AWAY to outside the state...AGAIN?
Claire Fletcher
If there was a God and he was a Texan, he would give Rick Perry permanent laryngitis. Please, PLEASE STFU Governor. Everytime you speak you either exaggerate or distort truth or just plain lie. Texans are tired of being the laughingstock of the entire nation.
Audrey Fisher via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Don't ever let the BS from Perry override the fact that it was his cohort of friends who made the legislative decision to say that they wouldn't include a single dollar to PP, because it does pregnancy termination procedures - not that the Medicaid $$$ can be used for this procedure, but to try and run them out of business. It only shows that GOP legislator's care less about Preventive Healthcare $$$ that actually diagnose cancer and other health risks than a side are of the Organization. His message to women is that He would greatly prefer you to die undiagnosed!
Shanna Crawford via Texas Tribune on Facebook
a true texas turd.
Renée Greene Mathew via Texas Tribune on Facebook
We need a regime change in this state. Voters need to be educated. Thanks for posting.
Cheryl Roberts via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What an ass. Did he really think he could blame HIS overreaching on Obama and we wouldn't notice?
Tom Sweazea via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Gov. Perry, Rick... You embarrassed yourself and the entire State of Texas with your "I talked to God" Presidential run. Can you just sit back, shut up, and collect your state pension in 4 years? ...you're done MoFo.
Bill Betzen
Who is Governor Perry trying to trick. Both the map the Texas Legislature approved PlanC185, and the map that the judges ordered, PlanC235, are terrible! They take a state that is only 45% Anglo and leave 66% of the districts with strong Anglo majorities due to unbridled gerrymandering. See a scattergraph that clearly docoments this pattern on the map Texas will have to live with for the next decade: http://dallasredistricting2011.blogspot.com/2012/03/gerrymandered-texas-congressional-map.html
Each column in the scatter chart above represents one of the 36 Congressional Districts in Texas. The large square blocks, representing the Anglo, Non-Hispanic, percentage, are bunched in the most powerful percentages above 50% but rarely above 70%. The votes of any group are most efficiently used when that group is from 50% to 70% of the population in a district. When a group is below 50%, or well above 70%, those votes are significantly less effective, or wasted. Notice where the Black and Hispanic votes are bunched. The more any single identifiable group in a district is above 70% the more that district is "packed." Texas is only 45% Anglo, Non-Hispanic, but that same Anglo group controls 66% of districts due to classic gerrymandering manipulations. Why is this still allowed?
Suzy Hagar via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texans blast Rick Perry over his lack of leadership and just about everything else. Rick Perry is one huge taxpayer$ burden.
Eric Metz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Somebody should give Perry and those idiot other Texans abortions so they would know what they are talking about. Their heads are up their asses. An abortion might just free their heads out of all the sh@# they talk.
David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This talk of "budget flexibility" intrigues me. Where was this flexibility when education and social services funding was getting slashed during the Lege?
Debbie Mason via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He makes me ill.For someone who mandated the HPV vaccine to help save lives why would he want to take money away from PP who helps save lives? We in TX have got to vote him out next election.
Debbie Spencer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Blah, blah, blah. Liar, jerk, moron.
Marc Lippincott via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He's such a tool.
Carl Fant via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Blah Bahl! Last Term Perry!
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Is he going to pull it out his you know what?
Bill Eaves via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Stop the murders by PP!!
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Who is going to receive these funds? The Crisis Pregnancy Centers that are unlicensed, unregulated with no accountability?
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Good plan? Not so much.
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
spoken like a guy who never left the missionary position...
Sean Riley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Note the above comments from the anti-Perry people, and take special notice at how little class they have.
Sean Riley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Obama + Planned Parenthood = "faith-based" cronyism from hell!
Pun Nio via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Bill Eaves, have you been to PP?
Stanley Moore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Some people are as dumb as Perry.
Bill Conley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Am I allowed to say "shot himself in the dick"? Because that's the first thing I hoped for, er, thought of when I read that.
Yvonne Massey Davis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What an absolute fool! He has the brain the size of a peanut! Where is all of this budget flexibility when it comes to education? Anyone who believes Perry is as ignorant as he is. Perry should be ashamed of himself! News Flash!!! The Federal government DOES NOT fund abortions regardless of the provider. Next lie Perry!
Carolyn Qualls via Texas Tribune on Facebook
did your nose grow gov?
Sergio Hernandez De Santos via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Kettle calling the Pot
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I am amazed at those who believe the lies about PP and abortion. How righteous you must feel to make decisions for those women with no idea of what they face. Small government at its finest run by a bunch of small minded low intellect hypocrites. Rick Perry is at the head of this class!
Sergio Hernandez De Santos via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Or cattle?
Gregory S Windham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
That's what happens when you elect an AGGIE CHEERLEADER.... Please Rick, Can't you let Texas get on down the road. Go back to Paint Creek and have a bar b que with Lester Maddox and all your BOYFRIENDS
Mimi Purnell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Maybe Rick will take the money out of his "retirement"! Oh, God, please let him really retire!!
Holly Hansen via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Planned Parenthood is under federal investigation for Medicaid fraud via this very program. Also, while nearly 2500 clinics receive WHP funds, only 44 of them are Planned Parenthood affiliates. Why is the President killing the entire program over 44 clinics that don't even provide a full range of health care services?
Bill Conley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Holly, any grandstanding crackpot of a representative can start up an "investigation" -- which is all that's happening in this case -- it's nothing rare or necessarily special. If we're turning off the government taps for every last organization or company with that bar as our guide, nothing's getting done then basically. Is that what you want? Or do the words "under investigation" set you all a-tingle only when applied to something you don't like?
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So true! Start a bogus investigation and FAUX has spin material. Not to mention the Komen Foundation.
Merryl Redding via Texas Tribune on Facebook
How is it that in this time of great knowledge & instant information a woman who decided to have unprotected sex doesn't "know what she faces" Seriously?? You're using that as an argument? Bambi is sounding pretty "righteous" in her statement.... But of coarse if you don't agree with her you have a small mind.
Alice Taylor
Perry screws up the women's health funding because of his personal religious biases. He suddenly gets a clue that women are getting fed up with his anti-women, anti-child, anti-education policies and digs out some funds to helps the programs limp along.
That done, he runs off with his buds to throw a "gigantic" party to welcome the one man in Texas who has decided to join the Republican Party this year. Luckily the new Republican is a man; if he eats too much cake he won't have to go to a woman's health clinic. He's a politician so he has real health care.
Bill Conley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Great knowledge & instant information... is that what we're calling "abstinence only" programs these days? I see. Has a nice "Ministry of Truth" ring to it, must say. Also, only women who "decided to have unprotected sex" get pregnant and catch diseases? Now, that right there, that is news to me -- more "great knowledge & instant information," I suppose. Fascinating stuff.
Kris Rutledge
I applaud Governor Perry for his principled position to follow state law and exclude the abortion industry and Planned Parenthood from Medicaid-Women's Health Program!
Planned Parenthood is a poor investment of public funds. Planned Parenthood offers only a narrow range of services and is unwilling or incapable of offering comprehensive primary and preventative care.
Planned Parenthood cannot treat breast cancer and they do not even have mammogram machines.
Planned Parenthood offers no prenatal care. The only time a woman will see a doctor at Planned Parenthood is if she is there for an abortion.
There are more than 2400 registered providers in the Women's Health Program and only 44 of them are Planned Parenthood businesses. There is a multitude of providers available in WHP when Planned Parenthood is excluded, many of them provide a full range of comprehensive healthcare services.
Women deserve better care than Planned Parenthood offers.
john cordes
What an ass. I can't wait to see which former aid at a high six figure salary will run this new private cotract women's health service owned and operated by friends of Rick paid for by tax dollars formerly unavailable for education.
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Oh please Merryl. We have all been there. Been pressured by men. Correct it is the women's decision. But how we all know bad ones are made in those times. I refuse to toss those stones. It is the person's choice to make as I do not walk in their shoes. As far as RicK Perry I think all the "oops" moments speak rather loud to what is in the gray matter. Tell me why the party of "small government" is so worried about female body parts and people's bedrooms? Only Ron Paul is rationale on this one.
Mary McArdle
I am so disappointed with the politics in Texas and Rick Perry. It makes me ashamed to be a Texan. It feels like women are being persecuted and I just can't understand why our legislators are so intent on denying women access to health and reproductive services. Why would anyone think this is a good idea?
Jen Biundo via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I deeply, deeply hope that Texas voters remember this come election day. It just astounds me how unapologetic and overt the GOP has become in its war on women.
Joe Pojman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Kudos to Perry. Obama and Planned Parenthood want to kill the entire Women's Health Program and cut off funding to all 2,500 providers and 130,000 low income women just because the State will deny funding to 44 Planned Parenthood sites. Perry won't let they do it. Let's not forget that Planned Parenthood runs the largest chain of abortion facilities in Texas, and they were caught and fined for running four illegal abortion facilities in San Antonio.