Posted on 03/16/2012 1:00:59 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
When the Texas state administration first considered a rule to ban Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from participating in the Texas’ Women’s Health Program, which is jointly funded by the state of Texas and the federal government, the Obama administration retaliated by threatening to cut funding to the program entirely. Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Thomas Suehs signed the rule anyway — and the ball was back in the Obama administration’s court. I wrote at the time:
Does Obama want to actually cut funding and potentially jeopardize the Texas Women’s Health program, which might not be able to survive without federal funding? That sends the message that Obama cares less that women have access to health care than that they receive health care from certain providers — namely, providers that also offer abortions.
Either Rick Perry just called Obama’s bluff or this is about to be an interesting issue. Planned Parenthood has already retorted with its typical demagoguery: “No one’s politics should interfere with a woman’s access to health care,” Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast President and CEO Peter J. Durkin said in a statement. “It is shameful that Governor Perry and Commissioner Suehs continue to politicize lifesaving breast cancer screenings and birth control access for low-income women.”
Would Planned Parenthood stand by that statement as it applies to President Obama, too? Surely other providers in the Texas Women’s Health Exchange provide breast cancer screenings and birth control access. Eliminating abortion providers from the exchange doesn’t jeopardize women’s health access — but eliminating the exchange altogether would.
The answer to my original question is: Yes, the Obama administration actually does want to cut funding and jeopardize the Texas’ Women’s Health Program entirely. He cares more to protect Planned Parenthood than he does to protect women’s health, in general. Fortunately for low-income women in Texas, Rick Perry won’t stand for it. Via Guy Benson:
Perry, who slammed the federal government constantly during his short-lived bid for the Republican presidential nomination, has directed state health officials to find the funding to keep the program going from other parts of the budget, but he has promised not to raise revenues to cover the costs.
Incidentally, this is one of the things I most respect about Rick Perry: He is willing to forgo federal funds, recognizing that federal dollars always come with strings attached. He rejected Race to the Top funds, for example, and now he’s saying “no” to federal control of another state-level program. The business-friendly atmosphere he created in Texas has ensured a thriving economy there, such that Texas doesn’t have need of federal funds, either. No wonder so many Californians have migrated there.
Time for the State of Texas to start escrowing all funds deducted from state employees paychecks for Federal Withholding and FICA payments.
The author seems surprised that Obama is pro-abortion.
So?
Agreed. It's long past due for the "individual states" to with-hold tax receipts to the fedgov. Think 10th Amendment. Let the fedgov such wind.
Isn’t that cute, the FedGov is having a temper tantrum.
Do you ever sometimes get the feeling that the U.S. Government is a government hell bent on engaging in genocide of the entire human race? I feel as though the U.S. Government is worse than the Third Reich ever dreamed of being. The U.S. Government spends a lot of money each year murdering babies.
yup
Defunding? Dat’s o’tay wid me.
Time to mobilize.
Great idea. This story is actually quite significant. It's a clear indication that we're under a Hugo Chavez-style 'pay to play' dictatorship where bribes, blackmail, extortion and government-sponsored racketeering is the order of the day. Tension between States such as Texas and our insurgent government is increasing. We all know where this leads, historically.
I really wish that Perry would follow through with his previous threats and just secede. It might just be the 2x4 to the forehead to the rest of America to see what Obama is doing to this country!
But, then again, maybe not!!
Yee haw! I'd get a renewed respect for Texas if they did exactly that.
Somewhere I read that they had the right to divide into up to five states as part of their agreement for admission into the union. Is that still true? We could sure use another eight conservative senators.
RE: I really wish that Perry would follow through with his previous threats and just secede
Errr... one person just won’t be able to cut it. You will need HUGE support from the entire state for that.
“Perry does some questionable things at times, but when the chips are down, he always toes the conservative line. He has a tongue made out of wood and is TERRIBLE at unscripted speaking. But of all the folks running, when the hard things have to be done, he will pull the trigger. Too bad he has no chance of winning this beauty contest that the Presidency has turned into.”
This episode is indicative of what I was talking about.
Against Obama's dictatorial police state.
“Time for the State of Texas to start escrowing all funds deducted from state employees paychecks for Federal Withholding and FICA payments.”
That would not be practical nor legal. And it would bring up very complex issues as to the consequences of failing to fund individual SS accounts. Those are direct-remitted to the IRS anyway, and the one thing that will cause the Feds to swoop in and chain a businesses’ doors shut is a failure to pay & remit payroll taxes.
Now, the portion of highway funds payable to the Feds collected via gasoline sales...that, I suspect would be a different story.
Feds to Texas: You defunded Planned Parenthood, now we’re defunding you
Texas to Feds: SCREW YOU it was our money in the first place so we are not going to send you anymore!
[ I really wish that Perry would follow through with his previous threats and just secede. It might just be the 2x4 to the forehead to the rest of America to see what Obama is doing to this country!]
I would wait till the at least the first Wednesday in November before doing that if I were Perry.
I was referring to the government of the State of Texas escrowing the withholdings of its own employees, not to private businesses.
It’s trivial for the IRS to chain the doors and levy the bank accounts of a private business.
Not so easy to do the same to a state government.
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