Republican Bill Will Reduce Benefits for Women Who Cannot Prove They Were Raped

Pennsylvania Bill Would Reduce Welfare Benefits For Women Who Cannot Prove They Were Raped

By Tara Culp-Ressler on Oct 24, 2012 at 3:35 pm

A Pennsylvania House bill seeks to limit the amount of TANF assistance that low-income women receive based on the amount of children they give birth to while covered under the program.

Despite the fact that low-income women who give birth to children would logically need increased assistance to care for their larger family, Pennsylvania lawmakers — State Reps. RoseMarie Swanger (R), Tom Caltagirone (D), Mark Gillen (R), Keith Gillespie (R), Adam Harris (R), and Mike Tobash (R) — don’t want their state’s welfare program to provide additional benefits for that newborn. If a woman gives birth to a child who was conceived from rape, she may seek an exception to this rule so that her welfare benefits aren’t slashed, but only if she can provide proof that she reported her sexual assault and her abuser’s identity to the police:

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http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/10/24/1083101/proposed-bill-food-stamp-benefits-raped/

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5 replies	Author	Time	Post
Republican Bill Will Reduce Benefits for Women Who Cannot Prove They Were Raped (Original post)	amborin	Oct 2012	OP
How is one to know which way is right??	Angry Dragon	Oct 2012	#1
and Paul Ryan claimed last week there's no war on women	napkinz	Oct 2012	#2
Is this to encourage women to keep babies after they are raped?	lalalu	Oct 2012	#3
There you have it - the Republicans have officially gone full Neanderthal.	Initech	Oct 2012	#4
Actually it looks like it will reduce benefits for women who have babies	MadrasT	Oct 2012	#5

Response to amborin (Original post)

Wed Oct 24, 2012, 07:55 PM

Angry Dragon (24,073 posts)

1. How is one to know which way is right??

One state says it is god's will and another says it is not ............
One state says that one can not get pregnant from rape, another says not so

Is there one republican that knows how children are created??

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Response to amborin (Original post)

Wed Oct 24, 2012, 07:56 PM

napkinz (3,707 posts)

2. and Paul Ryan claimed last week there's no war on women

We could fill BINDERS with these kinds of bills the Republicans have introduced in the states and in the House of Representatives.

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Response to amborin (Original post)

Wed Oct 24, 2012, 07:57 PM

lalalu (1,663 posts)

3. Is this to encourage women to keep babies after they are raped?

Last edited Wed Oct 24, 2012, 07:58 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

A backhand way of discouraging abortion? These people are nuts.

I do feel benefits should not increase each time someone gives birth while on welfare. There should be a flat amount of benefits for every family on welfare and it should be a livable amount. Choosing to increase the family size and extension of resources is a personal choice they should deal with.

No working person gets a raise if they have another child. It is an individual decision to have more children and whether or not you want to stretch your pay by adding another member to the household. Families on welfare should also have to pause and think before adding another kid.

At the same time there should be increased access to health centers, birth control, and family planning. Which in an ironic twist these same people want to cut. What a tangled web they weave.

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Response to amborin (Original post)

Wed Oct 24, 2012, 08:03 PM

Initech (39,578 posts)

4. There you have it - the Republicans have officially gone full Neanderthal.

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Response to amborin (Original post)

Wed Oct 24, 2012, 08:18 PM

MadrasT (5,795 posts)

5. Actually it looks like it will reduce benefits for women who have babies

while already on assistance. All women no matter how they get pregnant.

If you can "prove" your baby came from rape, they will magnanimously grant a waiver and increase your assistance.

If your baby was any other kind of baby, too bad so sad, suck it up and stretch your check farther.

I'm sure they are increasing availability to contraception and abortion to go along with this.

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