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Pelosi Defends Family Planning Spending in Stimulus Package
January 25, 2009 9:03 AM
During my exclusive interview with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, I asked her about some of the more controversial spending in the stimulus package, including hundreds of millions to expand family planning services, and $600 million in coupons to help people to convert to digital television.
"The family planning services reduce cost," Pelosi said, "One of the elements of this package is assistance to the states. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government."
"So no apologies for that?" I asked her.
"No apologies. No," Pelosi said. "And this is a, to stimulate the economy, is an economic recovery package and as we put it forth we have to deal with the consequences of the downturn in our economy. Food stamps, unemployment insurance, some of the initiatives you just mentioned. Believe it or not, they're the right thing to do but they also stimulate the economy."
On the $600 million to assist with the conversion to digital television, Pelosi argued for the spending -- but also said it might be taken out of the bill.
"Well, it's important for these people," Pelosi said, "This is a change in our country. If there - if it doesn't meet that test it will not end up in the bill at the end of the day. We are just beginning the process. It is timely. The senator talked about timeliness of this. And it helps meet the needs of the American people. But again, we have begun the process. We believe that what is in there, again, meets the test of growing the economy, creating jobs. Sort of a time release. Immediately creating jobs and then sustaining the job growth over time."
--George Stephanopoulos
January 25, 2009 in This Week with George Stephanopoulos | Permalink | Share | User Comments (69)
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Is anyone more despised and/or disgusting than this woman .. it's hard to think of one - well ok, Barney Frank is right up there! 2 pieces of filthy trash
Posted by: marcus | Jan 25, 2009 9:12:04 AM
Some one should gag this woman she thinks she run s this country,,,,She and Reid are two of the same.They should be replaced......600 mil for tv a big waste of money and one of the goverments big mistakes... Good money gone bad.Find out where and how the first package was spent,how many got big figure paychecks.Stop the frekin waste it would help.
Posted by: me | Jan 25, 2009 9:14:04 AM
I find it hilarious that Nancy Pelosi can insult President Bush about his intellectual capacity. Her defending "planned parenthood" for multi-million dollars of the bailout is ridiculous!!! If that is going to happen, then I want the option of paying taxes. I am pro-life and believe that our devaluation of life (killing millions of innocent children every year) is directly linked to the massive ethical failings of our congressional representatives and business leaders.
Pelosi is exactly what is wrong with a Democratically controlled congress and white house. Spend on pet projects (planned parenthood) to twist the moral fabric of our nation and screw up the youth so they are exactly like the baby boomer (60's) generation. This is the group that first got us started down the road of "we are all victims" and taught my generation to hold out your hands and we'll fill it with the tax dollars of actual hard working Americans. Spread the wealth.
You all might take a look at what happens to countries that provided universal health care (Germany, Japan, and Canada). They are collapsing under the cost, restricting what people can go see a doctor for, and implementing higher co-pay to discourage people from going to the doctor.
What a joke! And when you tax "the rich" they leave the country and go somewhere else with their billions of dollars where the government will take away less. It amazes me that you (reporters and congresspersons) think we are such uneducated idiots that we don't see how you are screwing up this country! Thanks again, California....or should I say the largest welfare state in the union!!
Posted by: Steve | Jan 25, 2009 10:52:23 AM
How is contributing to less children being born via the contraception part of the stimulus plan going to help the future economy? How are the children going to be born who need to pay social security in the future to rescue that issue.
Posted by: marie mcguire | Jan 25, 2009 4:46:29 PM
So how does this directly stimulate the economy? Less mouths to feed?
Posted by: not impressed | Jan 25, 2009 9:33:41 PM
Too bad for the country that nancy's parents didn't use abortion for family planning.
Posted by: steve | Jan 25, 2009 11:06:51 PM
I really cannot believe an elected official can, with a straight face, say something even remotely close to this. Perhaps Nancy is looking to advance some pleasurable stimulii that will take our minds off of the unpleasant stimulii we are about to receive.
Posted by: Bart | Jan 25, 2009 11:23:08 PM
George-
Do you think you can challenge her a little more? You are such a bleeding hear liberal. Hit her hard. Pelosi is a phony. She is a weak leader and, sadly enough, when her and Barney the toad get finished with America, you will be wishing for the years when the clinton's kicked you around and all we debated was the meaning of 'is'
Posted by: dorf | Jan 25, 2009 11:44:18 PM
What is next, euthenasia. This lady is sick.
Posted by: fran | Jan 25, 2009 11:46:58 PM
Following the same logic, anyone using Social Security or Medicare should be done away with.
Posted by: SoSad | Jan 26, 2009 12:10:01 AM
I am just sickened to my very core! "........ part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs." How does getting rid of future children before they have a chance to be born help their health and education Ms Pelosi?
If this is how the Democrats wish to waste taxes, I think it's time we stopped paying. Heck, it worked for Timothy Geithner!
Posted by: Noelle | Jan 26, 2009 3:29:17 AM
George gave her a chance to "correct" herself, but there was no correction necessary...
These children that would be a burden on Pelosi's treasury now will be contributors to our future, unless they grow up to be Democrats or Union workers. Never any talk about stopping the flow of Illegals from our Southern border. The fact that illegals reproduce like rabbits and contribute nothing to our healthcare system doesn't seem to matter.
Next, socialized medicine, followed by government mandated euthanasia for everything except Aids "victims" (wouldn't want to kill off Democrat voters).
Obama, Pelosi and Reid have a vision for America and it's nothing that they could talk about on the campaign trail. The stuff these guys are GOING to pull in the next 2-4 years wouldn't even fly in France.
Posted by: John M, Danville, CA | Jan 26, 2009 6:25:32 AM
Nancy Pelosi has convinced me. I've flipped totally to the new socialist regime. I embrace our new foreign policy of feeding birth control and abortions to the rest of the world. Once these other countries see our superior logic they will embrace this. It is in their interest after all. Al Gore may not have to come there and impose carbon taxes on them which would just starve them anyway. We have not done enough however. I'd like to see same sex marriage imposed on these pesky breeders so we would have zero population growth and a lesser chance that others would cross our borders and be shot by the fascist agents trying to keep them from our new comprehensive free health care. Strike that last bit.....everybody gets in. We need to hire thousands, no millions, of people to issue plane tickets to get them here. Wow, full employment. I also want Khalid, "Miranda Rights" Shaikh Mohammed set free in San Francisco and George Bush executed for war crimes. I want Gitmo made into a new Disney destination where kids can throw fecal matter at "Jack Booted" torturers and everything is free, even the Kool Aid. People who have benefited in the past through the corrupt capitalist system will be required to fork over anything over cost plus in their ventures to get in and play.
Posted by: tom | Jan 26, 2009 7:27:50 AM
This is bordering on eugenics, which is of course what margaret sanger ( founder of planned parenthood ) believed.
Next step : mandatory abortions for children with chromosomal anomalies, or children with known fetal anomalise.....because those are awfuklly expensive to treat after all
Posted by: julio | Jan 26, 2009 8:54:34 AM
So Ms Speaker....We need 600 Million more dollars for a plan that is ready to go 100% online in 3 weeks? How can that be with all the public service annoucments of the past year in addition to the coupon program that has already taken place?
Exactly how many more people "need" help in being ready for this widely advertised change?
Ms. Speaker, this was a very very simple problem to solve when compared to the issues facing us now. If you could not handle this appropriately and now claim you need 600 millions more dollars at this point in time, exactly why should any Amercian believe you have the understanding or capability to handle the current crop of problems at all?
Posted by: Mike_C | Jan 26, 2009 9:29:52 AM
"Next, socialized medicine, followed by government mandated euthanasia for everything except Aids "victims" (wouldn't want to kill off Democrat voters)."
Nice touch. You people are royally f'd in the head. Please, don't ever leave the farm.
Posted by: Silky | Jan 26, 2009 10:20:24 AM
"So how does this directly stimulate the economy? Less mouths to feed?"
Less unwanted children (or poorly raised children), who are prone to requiring money from the government to raise. What she's getting at is that it tends to be the case that accidental pregnancies are more likely to happen with poor, uneducated, lazy people who are too stupid to use contraception or can't afford it. It's absolutely true. She's being straight up. Easier access to free contraception will lead to less needy and, certainly less stupid people. The math is actually pretty easy.
Posted by: Silky | Jan 26, 2009 10:32:43 AM
Silky: If limiting the number of mouths the government must feed is a "stimulus", why aren't we ending the influx of illegals immediately? It's clearly bankrupting states like California. Moreover, reducing the cost of illegals would work much quicker and effectively than Pelosi's Holmesian eugenic program.
Posted by: vancav | Jan 26, 2009 11:20:40 AM
What a country. Too bad her parents did not use contraceptives or the abortion policy she is so proud of..
Posted by: jr | Jan 26, 2009 11:21:44 AM
Silky, the dems exist because of the stupid people you state. It would be suicide for the dems to want less stupid, uninformed people.
Posted by: jr | Jan 26, 2009 11:26:26 AM
Glenn Beck hit righ ton it with this quote from then Pres. Garfield.
"The people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrput, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature."
-- James A Garfield
The we in this case are those people in
California's 8th congressional district. It covers most of the City and County of San Francisco, California
I guess that explains it all !
Oh, by the way Nancy, are those car companies ready to pay back on those loans? The clock is ticking on that 3-month window that they were expected to gain with it. Any Progress to report to the American people? Oh...let me guess, you have no idea what is going on with that money either!
Posted by: Mike_C | Jan 26, 2009 11:32:02 AM
"Silky, the dems exist because of the stupid people you state. It would be suicide for the dems to want less stupid, uninformed people."
Yeah, but many of them are Republican voters. Gotta love the irony.
Posted by: Silky | Jan 26, 2009 11:47:36 AM
First off, her Bishop needs to excommunicate her. As a Catholic, birth control and abortion are both sins. When will the Catholic Church hold these people accountable. Second, expect more of this from these people. They fancy themselves 'social engineers'. And we probably will see forced abortions for babies who will need 'special' care. Pelosi, Reid and Obama are all Godless monsters. This is what they are going to do with our tax money...they may as well flush it down the toilet. It is going to be a very bad 2-4 years. Whatever happened to no taxation without representation? This woman and her ilk surely do no represent me or the vast majority of American.s
Posted by: ryan | Jan 26, 2009 12:32:45 PM
"They fancy themselves 'social engineers'. And we probably will see forced abortions for babies who will need 'special' care. Pelosi, Reid and Obama are all Godless monsters."
So, because they keep God out of government or see God differently than you they're "Godless monsters?" Get over yourself. God has nothing to do with it.
Posted by: Silky | Jan 26, 2009 1:02:00 PM
The truth is coming out about Obama.....the U.S is in for a downward spiral and fast if they pass this stimulus package. But they will not listen to the American people...the majority of us do not want all this spending and we want it to stop!...but will they listen...NO!
Posted by: marc | Jan 26, 2009 2:32:34 PM
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