FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 9, 2011

 

 

Washington D.C. – Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said that an anti-choice proposal to completely eliminate funding for a domestic family-planning program will lead to millions of Americans losing access to contraception, cancer screenings, and other basic health care.

 

“The new anti-choice House leadership now wants to take away birth control and cancer screenings from millions of American women and men,” Keenan said. “While these politicians attack abortion coverage from every angle, they now want to deny funding for birth control, even though that’s the best way to prevent unintended pregnancy. Americans will not stand for this blatant hypocrisy.”

 

The House Appropriations Committee announced through a press release that an upcoming Continuing Resolution [C.R], legislation designed to keep the federal government running through the remainder of the fiscal year, will eliminate all $327 million in funding for the Title X program. Title X is the nation’s only program dedicated solely to family planning for low-income Americans. About 4,600 health centers receive Title X funds to provide non-abortion-related services, including birth control and cancer screenings.

 

This latest attack comes on the heels of an escalation of anti-choice activity in the House.  This week, anti-choice leaders granted committee hearings to two extreme anti-choice bills - H.R.3 and H.R.358 – which, among other egregious provisions, would seek to end private insurance coverage of abortion and allow hospitals to deny women abortion care even if her life depends on it.

 

“The politicians who are advancing these egregious attacks are these same politicians who campaigned on the promise of focusing on jobs and the economy,” Keenan said. “Evidently, attacking abortion coverage and birth control has become the new jobs agenda.”

 

Contact: Ted Miller, 202-973-3032

 

###