Where do we put our money?

"April 29, 2011 5:4
http://www.cbsnews.com/
5 PM

Mitch Daniels will sign bill to defund Planned Parenthood

Posted by Brian Montopoli 25 comments

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Gov Mitch Daniels

(Credit: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Indiana Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels announced late Friday afternoon that he will sign a controversial bill to defund Planned Parenthood.

"I supported this bill from the outset, and the recent addition of language guarding against the spending of tax dollars to support abortions creates no reason to alter my position," he said in a statement.

Daniels' decision was closely watched since he is considering a presidential run. His earlier call for a "truce" on social issues had garnered the ire of social conservatives, and the bill was seen as a test of where he stood on such issues. Daniels has cast himself as focused primarily on fiscal issues.

Had Daniels vetoed the bill, which will make Indiana the first state to strip Medicaid funding for the network of reproductive health clinics, it would likely have hardened opposition to Daniels among social conservatives, who make up a significant portion of the GOP primary electorate in the key early voting states of Iowa and South Carolina. Signing the bill may help Daniels alleviate some of the reservations to his candidacy among that group if he decides to run. 

"Any organization affected by this provision can resume receiving taxpayer dollars immediately by ceasing or separating its operations that perform abortions," Daniels said in his statement.

On Thursday, Rick Santorum, a potential Daniels rival in the GOP presidential primary, called on the governor to sign the bill, saying of Planned Parenthood, "That's an organization that has a very sordid history and founding and one that I still think focuses in on activities that a lot of people have moral objections to." During the budget fight earlier this year that almost led to a government shutdown, Republicans tried and failed to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parentood, which is legally barred from using federal money to perform abortions.

The Indiana bill will eliminate $2 million in federal funding that Planned Parenthood receives, funneled through the state (the legislature has no control over an additional $1 million Planned Parenthood in Indiana receives from the federal government). About $1.3 million of that money comes from Medicaid funds allocated for family planning. It will also ban abortions after 20 weeks.

Tags:

Mitch Daniels ,

Planned Parenthood

Topics:

Republicans ,

Campaign 2012 ,

State Politics "

http://www.cbsnews.com/

Our a nation has debated for months about where do we put our money, and where do we take money from. Mitchell Daniels believes and has taken charge to cut funding from the planned parenthood organization. I'm thinking that maybe he didn't think clearly about every step or every loophole that is faced at the planned parenthood clinics and also what it means for the rest of the community and tax payers. If you cut funding from planned parenthood, then this means we will end spending and funding through medicaid more money for young teens or young adults who cannot provide for babies that they produced. Before we cut this funding, we need to fix the problem of teen pregnancy and young people having babies whom aren't capable of providing for their babies. So now they are going to have the babies and tax payers are going to pay for it through medicaid and all the other assistant programs. I personally don't believe in abortion, but sometimes I believe it's necessary. Let's teach our children to practice safe sex and educate their minds and then take this step. Right now, we don't have their attention. The old ways of living have changed. Some parents are not teaching and educating their children at home. As a nation, we need to step up to the plate and take back the American dream.