So is this latest decision. He has now rescinded support for a program that gave aid to people who were victimized by human traffickers. The program was run by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops which has, perhaps not uncoincidentally, been critical of Mr. Obama, for a number of his positions on abortion and embryonic stem cell research:
President Obama failed to renew the $19 million grant awarded to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for providing assistance to human trafficking victims.There's more at the link about what may lay at the root of this decision, but, in essence, it seems that the Obama administration is not going to assist organizations that are not on board with his policies, and if that means that human trafficking victims are victimized yet again, well, that's too bad.
The grant from the Department of Health and Human Service was awarded to the bishops in 2006 by President George W. Bush and funded the Migration and Refugee Services.
The office helped 2,700 victims of human trafficking obtain food, clothing and access to medical care.
Sister Mary Ann Walsh, director of media relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that she hoped the "position against abortion, sterilization and artificial contraception has not entered into this decision."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families gave no reason to the Catholic Bishops for refusing to renew the grant.
Vindictiveness is not an attractive trait, especially in a president. Maybe Mr. Obama had a good reason for stopping this grant. I wish he'd tell us what it is.