Lawmakers Accuse Senator Of Being Dishonest During Debate
Chambers Lashes Out At Foley
POSTED: 2:43 pm CST March 16, 2006
UPDATED: 5:48 pm CST March 16, 2006
LINCOLN, Neb. -- State lawmakers lashed out at Lincoln state Sen. Mike Foley on Thursday during a debate on low-income health care funding.
Opponents accuse Foley of being dishonest during a two-day debate related to funding of family planning clinics, including Planned Parenthood. Some lawmakers accuse him of lying about his motives to expand funding to family planning clinics when actually, they said, he was trying to cut funds.
Foley earlier had successfully amended the state's budget bill to allow additional health care providers to access state funding for treatment delivered to poor women. Foley said he wanted to broaden the number of places where women could go to get treatment.
But in an e-mail sent to supporters, Foley said he was insulted that Planned Parenthood received the money and that something should be done about it.
Lincoln Sen. DiAnna Schimek and others said they felt betrayed by Foley. State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha said he and others asked Foley if he was trying to cut funding to Planned Parenthood and Foley denied that's what he was doing.
"Not once did Sen. Foley respond he was trying to cut out these types of programs. Now he said he's focusing only on Planned Parenthood," Chambers said.
Chambers said that only in a recent e-mail did Foley reveal his true intent: to get rid of Planned Parenthood.
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