Abortion Funding

In the aftermath of Roe V. Wade, many pro-life groups sought to limit federal funding for abortions. They lobbied legislatures, telling them that it was better off fiscally for the state to disallow funding for abortion. The theory was that if the governemt stopped paying for abortions, there would be more money available for other government programs. States enacted laws, most of which stated that Medicaid would only pay for abortions intended to save the life of the mother.

These laws were later challenged in the Supreme Court, and upheld.

Why am I telling you this? First of all, I do not believe that abortions should be used as a form of birth control. That aside, the group of people that the above laws would harm would be the poor. The poor have traditionally been the segment of society that needs and uses these federal (and state) funds for medical problems. That same segment of society are also the people who normally are the recipients of welfare and other government funds.

If we prevent these poorer women from having abortions by not giving them at least some of the money so they can obtain them, these women will most likely have the child.

If the child is then put up for adoption, the government will pay to feed, clothe, shelter and educate that child until he is adopted. In other words, the government will end up paying more money than what the abortion would have cost.

If the mother decides to keep the baby, the mother may go on welfare. The government will pay to help raise the child.

In both instances, the government will end up paying more for these women not to have abortions than what they would have paid to let the women have them.