CRR Statement on House Spending Plan, Wiping Out Title X Family Planning Funding
(PRESS RELEASE) On February 11, House leadership officially released its proposed spending plan to fund the government through 2011, including cutting all funding for the Title X program which supports low-cost family planning services that would otherwise be out of reach for poor women.
In addition, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) has announced that he will introduce an amendment to prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving any federal money. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, issued this statement in response:
“Once again, the House majority is talking out of both sides of its mouth – on the one hand preaching fiscal conservatism, while on the other proposing to wipe out a program that has proven to save billions of dollars in public spending. “For 40 years, health facilities funded by Title X have provided an array of preventive services such as contraception, pelvic exams, and screenings for cervical and breast cancer, diabetes, highblood pressure, and sexually transmitted diseases. Without these services, millions of low-income men and women would not be able to afford this basicmedical care and prevent health issues before they happen. What’s more in 2008 alone, Title X health centers helped prevent nearly a million unintended pregnancies, contributing to more than $5 billion in cost savings for federal and state governments. “Equally distressing is Rep. Pence’s back-up proposal to strip Planned Parenthood of all federal funding. This amendment achieves much of the same. Without federal funding, these health facilities that provide the full range of reproductive health services, including abortion services, would be forced to shut down – effectively pulling the rug out from under millions of families.“It’s clear that the House’s real target is women’s health. We strongly urge congressional members to reject the House leadership’s anti-woman strategy, which has become more outrageous by the week. American women will not stand for these political attacks.”
