At least 10 states divert federal welfare funding to anti-abortion clinics

[CousinIT]

Millions in aid intended to go to the neediest families is being used to finance clinics trying to dissuade women from having abortions

Jessica Glenza
@JessicaGlenza
Fri 4 Jun 2021 06.00 EDT

At least 10 US states have siphoned millions of dollars from federal block grants, meant to provide aid to their neediest families, to pay for the operations of ideological anti-abortion clinics.

These overwhelmingly Republican-led states used money from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (Tanf), better known as welfare or direct cash aid, to fund the activities of anti-abortion clinics associated with the evangelical right. The clinics work to dissuade women from obtaining abortions.

In all cases, the states used these funds even as Covid-19 caused the worst economic upheaval in nearly a century, left one in four families without enough to eat, and resulted in mass layoffs that had a disproportionate effect on low-income and racial minority Americans.

“They’re not a replacement for Tanf, by any stretch of the imagination,” said Andrea Swartzendruber, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Georgia College of Public Health, whose research has focused on how crisis pregnancy centers operate.

Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas have used federal Tanf funds to support anti-abortion clinics.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/04/states-divert-federal-welfare-funding-anti-abortion-clinics

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. RePuQs are truly the worst of humanity

As an aside I cannot believe that this is legal

[PortTack]

2. I hope this will be meant with legal challenges!!

[uponit7771]

3. +1

[Buckeye_Democrat]

4. Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania included.

Rust belt Republicans are still trying to catch up with the Deep South, it seems.

[Captain Zero]

5. Indiana - the Middle Finger of the South

Looks like we have company on this.

[Nexus2]

6. More proof they're determined to get them here, but caring for, educating, sheltering and

educating children? Screw that...

[modrepub]

7. This Is Why The Infrastructure Bill

should be done with matching money and be highly targeted. You give states carte blanche, then politicians will divert it to their pet causes.

[Sympthsical]

8. Diverting welfare to create greater need for welfare

Ingenious.

[onetexan]

9. This is misappropriation of funds! Cut off the source of the funding!

[Tanuki]

10. This seems blatantly fraudulent. They should have to return the money, with

penalties.