Did Trump Shut Down Our Pandemic Response to Please Right to Life?

[McCamy Taylor]

In particular, did the religious right take offense at efforts to prevent the spread of infectious killers because they feared that such efforts would causes countries to loosen restrictions against abortion and birth control? Did Trump shoot our country in both feet by crippling our ability to respond to global pandemics because abortion foes would rather see us all dead than have a meaningful debate on contraception?

Recall that the two biggest threats before Trump were Ebola and Zika. And Zika, in particular had the potential to become what rubella once was--a reason to make abortion a matter of choice not law due to the risk of birth defects in affected embryos.

(Before you report me for citing right wing sites, the whole point of this piece is to see if the Right objected to world pandemic public health planning in the years before Trump)

Here is an example:

There is nothing–nothing wonderful, nothing tragic, and nothing in-between–that the Abortion Lobby will not attempt to exploit to further its ever-expanding death agenda.

https://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/2016/02/standing-up-against-the-barrage-of-pro-abortion-propaganda-to-use-zika-virus-as-a-reason-to-tear-down-protective-abortion-laws/

Here is another example:

The real dangers in this situation aren’t from a virus, they’re from the global penchant for using panic to push specific agendas, and an utter disdain for human life.

https://townhall.com/columnists/megantoombs/2016/06/28/zika-abortion-and-population-control-the-hype-and-the-real-danger-n2184219

Here is a 2016 public health planning document about how we should respond to Zika. Notice how often the plan calls for improvement in family planning services.

https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/Documents/zika-response-plan2016.pdf

Some in Congress delayed funding to fight Zika due to concerns that Planned Parenthood might benefit

The delay came out because of disagreement over side issues like funding for Planned Parenthood and whether the money should be considered "emergency" spending.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/09/28/495806979/congress-ends-spat-over-zika-funding-approves-1-1-billion

Trump is now claiming that he crippled our public health pandemic disease fighting readiness 1) to save money and 2) because it was part of Obama's legacy. But I think it was neither. I think that those who hate women and hate for women to have control over their own bodies persuaded him to do it because they would rather see us all dead than give a woman the right to choose. Meaning that Trump allowed politics to literally trump our health.

Right to Life (and the politicians who pander to you)---you are truly the agents of death and destruction.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. It was also on a Koch Bros list of cuts they wanted. . . . nt

[TlalocW]

2. Eh, little too far-fetched for me

Simplest answer is that it was an Obama program, and he's jealous of Obama and is trying to get rid of everything he ever did.

TlalocW

[Thomas Hurt]

3. Letting people starve, suffer unwanted pregnancies, disease without social programs or gov't help..

is standard conservative ideology.

Help yourself or die.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

4. I read a lot about fundies. They are TOTALLY opposed to women

having any autonomy at all, much less reproductive autonomy - and they are totally warped and obsessed with the latter because women are really nothing but fetus receptacles to them.So no -- I would not put it past them to push for allowing a deadly pandemic if they had to choose between that or even the faintest, most remote chance that alleviating the pandemic would result in a single abortion. They're that obsessed and that misogynistic, with their "faith" as a cover for it.

[Princess Turandot]

5. While President Obama didn't begin the office he put more $$ /emphasis on its work...

That undoubtedly played a large role in Trump's decision, as it seems to have done with so many things. I'm convinced that his staff have a list of programs related to PBO, one of which is suggested for the chopping block whenever Trump has a bad day. (I think that they schedule his rallies for the same reason.)

As to right-for-life issues, increasing the number of pregnant women exposed to diseases that can harm the fetus would increase, not reduce, potential abortions.

[Initech]

6. Pro lifers are a group of psychopaths and hypocrites.

Jesus would hate these people. I always wonder how you can be pro-gun and pro-life. I would think those two beliefs would cancel each other out, no?

[OnlinePoker]

7. They're not pro-life, they're pro-birth

They don't give a shit what happens to the mother/child once the baby is born.

[flotsam]

8. I Dearly wish

I could laugh and scoff at your premise, but I cannot

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. Yeoman's Work.

I know what effort it takes to put together a post like yours.


Outstanding.