The cost of the GOP's war against abortion is adding up — and taxpayers are footing the bill
SalonFor the first time in decades, the House Appropriations Committee passed a spending bill last week without a ban on federal funds being used on abortions for patients on Medicaid. "It goes without saying that the state government wastes huge sums of money on writing, passing, and defending abortion restrictions," Shannon Brewer, director of Jackson Women's Health, told Salon. According to Brewer, this "essentially deprives people of health care services," and "disproves the notion legislators refuse to fund abortion care and Medicaid expansion because of their fiscally conservative core values." "When we think about the money that is being spent litigating unconstitutional abortion restrictions, that money could absolutely be better spent supporting people in these states through Medicaid expansion, child care support, family leave, extended post-partum Medicaid coverage, Title X funding," Smith said. On top of the millions of dollars in legal fees defending abortion bans, dozens of states have also directed funding to anti-abortion "crisis pregnancy centers," which target and deceive pregnant people with anti-abortion propaganda.
History of this topic
It's harder to pay and travel for abortion care, and support funds are struggling
NPRBill that would have placed the question of abortion access before Louisiana voters fails
Associated Press
Maryland lawmakers override gov’s veto of abortion expansion
Associated Press
Biden Omits Hyde Amendment From Budget, Keeping Promise To Defend Abortion Rights
Huff PostDiscover Related
