What if I can't Afford Birth Control? Senator Ron Johnson Says "Just Google It"
| Jacqueline M.
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Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) seems to think that if you are a woman who can’t afford birth control, the magic of the “interwebs” (in this case, Google) will solve all your problems.
In an interview with Think Progress, when asked what advice he would have for the millions of women who can’t afford the cost of birth control (which can be up to $600 dollars per year), Senator Johnson said the answer was simple, “Go online, type it in. It’s easy to get.”
Fair enough. You can get birth control if you look it up online and find providers who offer low-cost birth control. But that theory is problematic when you consider that Johnson voted against Title X funding for family planning and has voted to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides preventive services including affordable birth control to millions of women every year. Where does he expect these women to get birth control? Google is not a health care provider. If anything, it seems like Johnson keeps trying to take away affordable health care providers. And Google can’t fix that.
Watch the video and read the transcript below!
KEYES: What do we say to the millions of women who can’t afford access to birth control?
JOHNSON: My wife actually went online here in Wisconsin and typed in, “what if I can’t afford birth control?” Came up, bam. If you can’t afford it, you can get birth control in this country. That’s a straw-dog argument. There’s no conservative who’s trying to deny women health care or contraceptives. We’re just saying this is an issue of religious freedom. [...]
KEYES: What do you mean, “if you can’t afford it you can get it?”
JOHNSON: You can get it. Go online, type it in. It’s easy to get.
Photo: Larry Downing/Reuters
