Sen. Murray Statement on Bipartisan Step to Protect Key Women’s Health Programs from Trump Administration

Senate Appropriations Committee advances appropriations bill requiring Trump Administration to implement Title X family planning, teen pregnancy prevention programs as they were under the Obama Administration  

(Washington, D.C.) –  Today, U. S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate health committee, issued the following statement on passage of legislation in the Appropriations Committee that instructs the Trump Administration to administer the Title X family planning program and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program as they were under the Obama Administration. The Department of Health and Human Services recently announced plans to gut the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and has acted to undermine access to key health care providers under the Title X family planning program.

“Far too often, a woman’s access to the health care she needs and her ability to make her own health care choices becomes a political football rather than what it should be—a bipartisan priority—and that’s unfortunately especially true in light of the Trump Administration’s efforts to roll back women’s health and rights at every turn,” said Sen. Murray. “I’m pleased that this bill ties the Trump Administration’s hands as it tries to undermine family planning efforts and gut evidence-based research on teen pregnancy prevention, and I hope that Democrats and Republicans can continue to show President Trump that Congress won’t rubber-stamp his extreme, harmful agenda on women’s health.”

More information on investments in family planning and teen pregnancy prevention included in the FY 2018 Senate Labor, Health, and Human Services appropriations bill:

Family Planning Clinics. The bill includes $287 million for the Title X program, the same level of funding as in fiscal year 2017. Grantees rely on these funds to provide comprehensive family planning and preventive health services to nearly 5 million people.   The bill also includes new bill language that directs HHS to administer the program as it was during the Obama Administration.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP).  The bill includes $108 million for the TPP program, which provides funding for evidence-based interventions that reduce teen pregnancy and are medically accurate as well as age appropriate.  This is level with fiscal year 2017.  The program was proposed for elimination in the President’s budget.  The bill also includes new bill language directing HHS to administer the program as it was during the Obama Administration.