GOP Boosts NIH Funding By $2 Billion; NIH Returns the Favor By Offering Grants for Transgender Studies at $200,000 Per Year, Per Study

Yes, the GOPe was really totally completely ready to start cutting the federal budget, until Trump made a three-month deal on the debt ceiling.

And all the #FakeNewsConservatives on blogs and twitter that have repeatedly called anyone proposing budget cuts "extreme" or "unrealistic" were totally ready to start shredding that budget too.

Anyone think that, when the debt ceiling comes up again in three months, these #FakeNewsConservatives and Paycheck Patriots are going to promote serious budget-cutting plans? Or will they just once again call anyone who proposes a government shutdown as leverage to get cuts an extremist Hobbit wack-a-doo?

Since I've watched twitter, I have seen this #FakeNewsConservative Coffee Clutch repeatedly denigrate and ridicule anyone using the debt ceiling as leverage, and attacking anyone who proposes such a thing as crazy, but now, because Trump followed their lead, they're all claiming to be Budget Warriors ready to risk Congressional seats to bring this federal budget dragon to heel.

Sure. Sure guys. I mean, I've just watched you high-five each other about how stupid and unrealistic and crazy are the people proposing actual cuts, or anyone proposing a government shutdown as a bargaining chip, for like five years straight.

But now you're Born Again Hard Budget Hawks, huh?

Okay. Okay, whatever. I guess when you're a #FakeNewsConservative, you have to take your preening and posturing opportunities where you can find them, because everyone knows when there's an actual live dispute between Democrats and real conservatives, you'll side with the Democrats, every single time.

As you always do, always have done, and always will do.

Anyway, here's some of that GOPe budget-cutting ferocity that Trump short-circuited by agreeing to surrender two weeks before the GOPe and Twitter Conservative SmartSet had "surrender" scheduled in their day-planner:

The National Institutes of Health announced its plans for funding numerous new studies on transgender issues that will cost $200,000 each.

The agency released two announcements Friday that it will soon begin accepting applications for transgender studies to begin next year, on the heels of the Republican-controlled Senate approving a $2 billion spending increase for the agency.

...

Studies may also examine the "biological underpinnings of gender and gender identity," "how estrogen hormone treatments affect the male reproductive tissues," and studies on puberty blockers for adolescents.

...

In the past, studies deemed meritorious by the NIH have included a study seeking to give jailed transwomen "gender affirmation" that has now cost taxpayers $675,715, and a $393,790 studying transwomen in Uganda.

The agency has also awarded $43,576 to a researcher who believes having a "vagina does not equal woman" to study the health status of transgender individuals.

A study to find out why gay men and transgender individuals get syphilis in Peru has now cost $1,082,833. Another NIH grant to research how transwomen use Facebook has cost $351,608.

A recent study is examining whether "gender norms" make LGBTQ people drink, for $438,699.

The NIH funding announcement should not be hindered by[any Republican-imposed] budget constraints. The Republican-controlled Congress is set to increase the NIH's budget by another $2 billion for fiscal year 2018, against the Trump administration's proposal to cut the agency's funding. The agency budget will be raised to $36.1 billion.

Last week, the GOPe showed how eager they were to really take the Democrats on regarding the budget when they flat rejected a one percent cut to the Department of the Interior.

Dozens of House Republicans on Friday voted down language that would have imposed a 1 percent cut on funding for the Department of the Interior, forcing the proposal to fail.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., offered up the language as part of a giant spending bill that combines four of the 12 annual appropriations bills. Blackburn often proposes amendment make a small overall cut to various agencies in order to tackle the $20 trillion national debt.But Republican opposition prevented its passage.

68 Republicans voted against it. I await the condemnation of them from the Online TruCon Crying Eagle Brigades.

Oddly enough, none of their #FakeNewsConservative Democrat-curious cheerleaders on blogs or twitter seemed interested in criticizing the GOPe for this.

posted by Ace at 12:58 PM

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