Stimulating something besides the economy

John Boehner: “How can you spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives? How does that stimulate the economy?”

Boehner’s office explained,

One proposal included in the stimulus package would expand Medicaid family planning services to all 50 states.

The proposal would enable people who don’t qualify for Medicaid to receive the family planning services, including contraceptives.

Speaker Pelosi said House Democrats stand by their position:

[GEORGE] STEPHANOPOULOS: Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning services. How is that stimulus?

PELOSI: Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children’s health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those – one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So no apologies for that?

PELOSI: No apologies.

I guess the GOP doesn’t have to worry too much about Pelosi & Co. trying to capture the middle ground on family values.