House Republicans are drafting a continuing resolution that would include the removal of all Title X family planning funds from the federal budget. Title X clinics provide everything from annual exams, to cancer screenings, to contraceptive services, to testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. The provision would take the program, which as been in place for over 40 years, from $317 million dollars a year to nothing virtually overnight. We expect it to be taken up in the House some time next week.
The continuing resolution comes on the heels of Rep. Mike Pence’s Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act (H.R. 217), which would deny Title X funds to organizations that also provide abortions. The bill is a direct attack on legitimate family planning providers, like Planned Parenthood, who play a critical role for millions of women.
Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way, issued the following statement:
“This is a shameless attempt to stir up a Right Wing “culture war,” whatever the collateral damage– in this case, critical healthcare for millions of low-income women. If the House GOP is really interested in preventing unintended pregnancies, it should embrace organizations that provide affordable contraception. If it’s interested in public health, it should be interested in helping women defend themselves against disease. If these bills become law, millions of American women will lose access to critical family planning and reproductive health services. This move is not fiscally responsible or socially responsible—it’s a blatant attempt to play politics with women’s health.”
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