"Paul Ryan: Providing Women With Affordable Contraception Is A Threat To The Poor"

[applegrove]

Paul Ryan: Providing Women With Affordable Contraception Is A Threat To The Poor

By Tara Culp-Ressler at Think Progress

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/10/25/1087591/paul-ryan-contraception-threat/?mobile=nc

"SNIP.................................................


As Talking Points Memo flagged, the vice presidential candidate cited the popular Obamacare birth control mandate — which eliminates cost barriers to contraception by requiring employer-based insurance plans to provide contraceptive services without a co-pay — as an example of a “threat” to the poor Americans who rely on assistance from government safety nets and religious charities:

Nothing undermines the essential and honorable work these groups do quite like the abuse of government power. Take what happened this past January, when the Department of Health and Human Services issued new rules requiring Catholic hospitals, charities and universities to violate their deepest principles. Never mind your own conscience, they were basically told –- from now on you’re going to do things the government’s way.

This mandate isn’t just a threat to religious charities. It’s a threat to all those who turn to them in times of need. In the name of strengthening our safety net, this mandate and others will weaken it.

.............................................

Studies predict that the health reform law’s birth control policy will almost certainly lower abortion rates, since removing the cost barriers to contraception encourages low-income women to choose longer-lasting, more effective forms of birth control that lower their risk for unintended pregnancy. And women themselves report that they value access to birth control because it helps them achieve economic autonomy for themselves — giving them the ability to finish a degree, keep a job, or support their family — when they know they cannot afford the cost of another child. In Paul Ryan’s mind, however, the social safety net is weakened by fewer abortions and enhanced economic mobility.

..................................................SNIP"

[Angry Dragon]

1. Republicans have trouble connecting the dots

they think they are always in a circle

[applegrove]

3. A bubble really.

[LisaL]

2. I personally think it's republicans who are a threat to the poor.

But what the hell do I know?

[JRLeft]

4. ^ This.

[Sophiegirl]

5. Huh?

[Scuba]

6. Soon to be private citizen Paul Ryan ...

http://www.robzerban.com

[catbyte]

7. Ryan's Bizarro World. Up is down. Right is left. Stop means go

Large poor families are better than small ones. WTF?

[left is right]

9. thank you for not using “left is right” for an example of bizarro world confusion/deception

--left is right

[catbyte]

13. I had physical directions in mind, but your point is well-taken

[Supersedeas]

12. Silliness masquerades as dog whistles for the religious right

[infidel dog]

8. Ee-yeah. That's cool, Paul. Well, it's been fun but I have to get back to planet Reality now...

[MizzM]

10. Republican mind

There is no figuring the convoluted mind of the species known as Republican.

[GallopingGhost]

11. I thought his sidekick wasn't worried about the poor? n/t

[CBHagman]

14. The Catholic Charities example.

Actually, I know what Ryan is referring to: the suggestion that religiously affiliated groups/institutions will shut down and/or cut back in the face of the contraception mandate. Mind you, I'm not saying I believe that's true (Many states already have a contraception mandate, and Catholic groups in those places sometimes self-insure), just that I've seen one example of a group withdrawing health care coverage in the name of conscience.

The case I'm thinking of is that of Catholic Charities in Washington, D.C. The group decided not to offer spousal health insurance at all because of same sex marriage.

[url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/02/catholic-charities-drops_n_482388.html[/url]

Never mind that it's virtuous thing to provide health care coverage to everyone, gay or straight, married or unmarried, sexually active or celibate.

Anyway, during the contraceptive coverage brouhaha, some clerics and others made noises that the fight might cause charities to shut down, yada, yada.