[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 56 (Monday, April 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4322-S4327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. 
        Lugar, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Hatfield, Mr. 
        Coats, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Bond, Mr. Conrad, and Mr. 
        DeWine):
  S. 1716. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act reauthorize 
the adolescent family life program, provide for abstinence education, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.


    the adolescent family life and abstinence education act of 1996

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to introduce, 
on behalf of 14 Senators, the Adolescent Family Life and Abstinence 
Education Act of 1996 and, on behalf of 12 Senators, the Adoption 
Promotion Act of 1996. I am pleased to be introducing these bills with 
many colleagues from both parties, which I shall describe shortly.


                       Toward a ``Good'' Society

  Mr. President, I am introducing two bills designed to bring Americans 
together on one of the most controversial, if not the most 
controversial matter facing the United States domestically today, and 
that is the question of abortion, pro-choice, pro-life. While we cannot 
achieve agreement on all aspects of that underlying controversy, I 
believe it is possible to make enormous steps forward on the issue of 
abstinence; that is, to try to curtail premarital sex, especially among 
teenagers, which results in unintended pregnancies, and to promote 
adoption through tax credits, to try to encourage those who are in the 
situation of unintended pregnancy to carry through to term.
  At the outset, let me provide my colleagues with a brief summary of 
the legislation. This legislation would support an authorization for 
$75 million annually to have abstinence education. While there is great 
concern about education dealing with matters of sex generally, there 
appears to be an exception when you talk about abstinence. Within the 
past several weeks, I have had the opportunity to visit the Carrick 
High School in Pittsburgh, where I met with students who are involved 
in an abstinence program and with officials of Mercy Hospital which has 
been the recipient of a $250,000 federal grant for abstinence 
education. The results there have been very profound. Later, I visited 
a program in Lancaster, PA, where young people are taking the 
abstinence pledge and are being counseled in how to respond to peer 
pressure with counter peer pressure. As I say, while we cannot agree on 
all aspects of the issue of abortion, pro-choice, pro-life, I believe 
when we talk about abstinence, that is an area of agreement.
  Similarly, on adoption, there have been many efforts to give tax 
breaks. This legislation is another effort, with up to a $5,000 tax 
credit for adoption, and up to $7,500 for adopting children with 
special needs. These two bills will supplement legislation which I have 
already pushed on prenatal care for pregnancies, again involving many 
youngsters in their teens. I saw my first one-pound baby more than a 
decade ago. It is really a startling sight, a child no bigger than my 
hand, carrying medical problems for a lifetime and costing up to 
$200,000 in medical care per child for just the first year. I believe 
this abstinence legislation, in conjunction with adequate prenatal care 
and the Healthy Start program, will go a long way toward avoiding 
teenage pregnancies and the complications that can arise, such as low-
birth-weight babies.
  Mr. President, on March 28, 1996, I spoke on the Senate floor in 
support of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Teen Pregnancy Prevention 
Week. During that week, communities throughout the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania conducted special activities to promote pre-marital 
abstinence as the best, healthiest way to prevent teen pregnancy and 
the many other physical, emotional, and relational consequences of 
early sexual activity. On Friday, March 15, 1996, I had the opportunity 
to kick-off this important week at Central High School in Philadelphia, 
and during my remarks, I stated that I would be introducing two 
legislative proposals that deal with the important issue of teen 
pregnancy, one on abstinence education and one on promoting adoption.
  By way of background, nearly 200 years ago, the French writer Alexis 
de Tocqueville is said to have observed that ``America is great because 
she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease 
to be great.'' Although de Tocqueville is long gone, his analysis is 
timeless. It is impossible to be a public official today, to travel 
throughout States such as Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the United 
States, without recognizing that America's problems are more moral than 
material. The news media offer us a monthly snapshot of leading 
economic indicators, but it may be that our leading moral indicators 
are more telling, such as the staggering number of teenage pregnancies, 
the national divorce rate, and the rapid rise in juvenile crime.

  As we have tried to steer towards a growing economy and a balanced 
budget, there has been a growing consensus that all our goals--
personal, economic, and national security--must rest on a restored 
ethic of personal responsibility. There has been an increased 
recognition that a crisis of values underlies the many public policy 
problems the Senate addresses on a daily basis. This has impressed upon 
me the need for people of strong moral commitments to enter public 
service and public debate, so that we may confront the underlying 
problems.
  On the critical question of the health of America's families, the 
grim statistics are well known, but worth repeating. These leading 
moral indicators suggest that the erosion of the American family 
continues unabated. For example, more than 50 percent of American 
marriages now end in divorce, meaning that millions of American 
children face at least some instability in their home environment. 
Then, there is the alarming number of teenagers getting pregnant in the 
United States. According to statistics released by the Centers for 
Disease Control in 1995, there were an estimated 835,000 teenage 
pregnancies in 1990. Further, the National Center for Health Statistics 
reports that in 1993, 12,000 girls under 15 years of age gave birth to 
a child. To me, this necessitates a strong response from public 
officials, the clergy, and concerned citizens.
  A leading moral indicator is the rapid increase in the number of 
unwed mothers. The percentage of teen births that occurred outside of 
marriage has risen from 48 percent in 1980 to 72 percent of all teenage 
births in 1993. According to my distinguished colleague,

[[Page S4324]]

Senator Moynihan, within 10 years, unless we reverse current trends, 
more than half our children will be born to unmarried women. By 
comparison, the United States teenage birth rate--60 births per 1,000 
females aged 15 to 19--is double the rate in other industrialized 
societies such as Australia and the United Kingdom. France and Japan 
report some of the lowest teenage birth rates, at nine and four births 
per 1,000 females, respectively.
  It is worth pausing to reflect on the enormous significance of these 
statistics regarding out-of-wedlock births. Marriage is obviously 
important as it relates to the benefits for children to have a strong 
family structure based on a commitment of mutual support and respect.
  On the subject of family values, I speak with considerable pride 
about the institution of marriage with my parents and my siblings. In 
addition to my parents' marriage of 45 years, my brother, Morton, and 
his wife, Joyce, were married for 51 years until his death in 1993. My 
sister, Hilda, and her husband, Arthur Morgenstern, celebrated their 
53rd wedding anniversary in April. My sister, Shirley, was married to 
Edward Kety for 46 years until his death last summer. My son, Shanin, 
and his wife, Tracey, will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on 
June 29, 1996. So our family totals 248 years of marriage.
  In considering the troubling statistics on out-of-wedlock births, I 
believe there is much we can do to reduce the likelihood that an 
unmarried teenager will become pregnant in the first place.
  While I am personally opposed to abortion, I do not believe it can be 
controlled by the Government. I believe it is a matter for the woman 
and family, with appropriate guidance by ministers, priests, and 
rabbis. I do believe the government has a significant role in promoting 
alternatives to abortion. In my view, there is no reason why people on 
both sides of the abortion debate cannot work together to promote those 
alternatives. We can reduce teenage pregnancies by encouraging 
abstinence and personal responsibility. If a teen pregnancy does occur, 
we should promote adoption as a socially beneficial alternative.

  We can, and we must, confront our leading moral indicators head-on. 
We must press harder in the fight to reduce the alarming number of 
teenage pregnancies. And, when a child comes into the world as the 
result of an unintended pregnancy, we must do all that we can to ensure 
that it is raised in a loving, stable family environment.
  It is the American family, of course, to which these responsibilities 
chiefly belong. Nonetheless, I believe that the Government can play a 
role and that we in the Congress must seek out appropriate legislative 
means to advance this cause. Accordingly, I am today introducing these 
two bills which will strengthen the social fabric and family stability 
of our Nation.
  Before I go into greater detail on these two bills, I want to point 
out that I have benefited from thoughtful review and comments by a 
number of individuals with expertise on the issues of teen pregnancy, 
abstinence, and adoption, including Bill Pierce of the National Council 
on Adoption; H. Woodruff Turner and Katrina Schulhof of the Pittsburgh 
Adoptive Family Rights Council; David Keene of the American 
Conservative Union; Ms. Molly Kelly of Philadelphia; Larry Breitenstein 
of the Westmoreland County Childrens Bureau; Dr. Carol Jean Vale, 
President of Chestnut Hill College; Sister Roseanne Bonfini of 
Immaculata College; James Stark of the Fayette County Community Action 
Agency; Danelle Stone and Melissa Mizner of Catholic Charities 
Counseling and Adoption Services--Erie Diocese; Washington County 
Commissioner Diana Irey; Reverend Horace Strand, Sr. of the Faith 
Temple Holy Church and Christian School; Rev. Msgr. Philip Cribben of 
the Archdiocese of Philadelphia; and Ted Meehan of the Mainstream 
Republicans.


      Adolescent Family Life and Abstinence Education Act of 1996

  My first legislative proposal provides for the continued funding of 
programs that are designed to reduce teenage pregnancy and to increase 
abstinence education. The existing Adolescent Family Life Program, 
known as the title XX program, is a worthwhile program which focuses 
directly on the issues of abstinence, adolescent sexuality, adoption 
alternatives, pregnancy and parenting. If you want to reduce the number 
of abortions performed in the United States, teaching children to say 
no to negative peer pressure is a starting place.
  In 1981, Congress established the Adolescent Family Life Program as 
the only Federal program of its kind. Through demonstration grants and 
contracts, Adolescent Family Life focuses on a comprehensive range of 
health, educational, and social services needed to improve the health 
of adolescents, including the complex issues of early adolescent 
sexuality, pregnancy, and parenting.
  This legislation had bipartisan support when originally enacted in 
1981 and when it was reauthorized in 1984. Authority for title XX 
expired in 1985 and since then, the program has been operating under 
funding provided in the annual Labor, HHS, and Education appropriations 
bill. For fiscal year 1996, the Labor, HHS, and Education 
Appropriations Subcommittee, which I chair, provided $7.7 million for 
the Adolescent Family Life program.
  Now, more than 10 years after the authority for this valuable program 
expired, it is important that Congress reauthorize it to demonstrate 
our commitment to this important Adolescent Family Life Program. As I 
stated at the outset, my legislation, the Adolescent Family Life and 
Abstinence Education Act of 1996, would provide authority for $75 
million annually between now and fiscal year 2000, substantially higher 
than the $30 million authorized in 1985. My legislation would also 
amend title XX to state expressly that the education services provided 
by the recipients of federal funds should include information about 
abstinence. I have also proposed amending the law to require the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure, to the maximum extent 
practicable, that approved grants have a geographic diversity that 
shows adequate representation of both urban and rural areas. Further, 
to address concerns raised by Pennsylvania constituents, my legislation 
would establish a simplified, expedited application process for groups 
seeking Title XX demonstration project funding of less than $15,000.

  As I noted at the beginning of my remarks, teenage pregnancies exact 
a substantial emotional and financial toll on our society and deserve 
priority consideration by Congress. Adolescent pregnancy threatens the 
health of both the young mother and child. Teenage mothers are more 
likely to lack adequate prenatal care and to give birth to a low 
birthweight baby. When I refer to the problem of low birthweight 
babies, I am talking about babies weighing as little as 12 ounces who 
when born are no larger than my hand. It is tragic that these babies 
are not born more healthy, for low birthweight babies will carry scars 
for a lifetime and often do not live very long.
  The Adolescent Family Life Program, in addressing early sexual 
relations among teenagers, can also protect their health with respect 
to sexually transmitted diseases. Early sexual activity, particularly 
with multiple partners, increases the chance that a teenager will 
contract such a disease. The Title XX program is designed to get 
teenagers to focus on the potential consequences of early sexual 
activity, and these health concerns certainly provide additional 
justification for Federal support of abstinence education.
  In making the case for funding programs to address the teen pregnancy 
problem it is important to focus primarily on the physical, emotional, 
and spiritual costs associated with a young girl becoming pregnant. At 
a time when Federal, State, and local governments face difficult 
budgetary constraints, I should also note that in 1990, an estimated 51 
percent of Aid to Families with Dependent Children payments went to 
recipients who were 19 or younger when they first became mothers. 
Billions of dollars could be saved by preventing unwanted teenage 
births to unwed mothers.
  Reauthorizing the Adolescent Family Life Program at $75 million will 
demonstrate that Congress recognizes the serious emotional and 
financial impact of teenage pregnancy. Updating federal law to advocate 
abstinence education

[[Page S4325]]

expressly is also necessary to provide guidance to the Department of 
Health and Human Services. I urge my colleagues and others to making 
America a ``good'' society to support this legislation and join me in 
the effort to reduce teenage pregnancies.


                   The Adoption Promotion Act of 1996

  My second legislative proposal, the ``Adoption Promotion Act of 
1996,'' is intended to provide appropriate tax incentives to encourage 
adoption, a policy which serves as a compassionate response to children 
whose own parents are unable or unwilling to care for them. This is 
particularly important in an era when so many teenagers are having 
babies and are unable to care for them.
  Based upon my own strong sense of family, I firmly believe that the 
family is the primary building block of our society. To reinforce the 
important role families play in our society, the Senate and the House 
of Representatives recently passed balanced budget legislation which 
contained provisions to benefit families. For instance, the agreement 
provided a $500 per child tax credit to help cover the rising costs of 
raising children. That legislation also provided a $5,000 nonrefundable 
tax credit for families who follow the long and arduous, but rewarding, 
process of adopting a child. Although this legislation was vetoed by 
the President, I believe it made a very strong statement in support of 
the American family.
  I have spent the past year advocating scrapping our current Tax Code 
and replacing it with a flat tax that would encourage saving, stimulate 
growth, and promote fundamental simplicity. In March 1995 I introduced 
S. 488, the Flat Tax Act of 1995, which would increase economic growth 
by $2 trillion and reduce interest rates by 2 full percentage points. 
Further, S. 488 would provide much more generous personal exemptions 
and deductions for children. However, as the Congress debates the 
merits and necessity of fundamental tax reform, and until such 
legislation is enacted, I believe we need to move forward with 
specialized tax legislation that promotes adoption.

  As I stated earlier, today I am introducing the Adoption Promotion 
Act of 1996, which would encourage the adoption of children into 
healthy and stable existing families. Far too many children are left to 
grow up in foster care without ever experiencing the rewards of being a 
permanent family member. Many other couples, unable to conceive their 
own child, turn to infant adoption to start a family. Recognizing the 
cost hurdles that may discourage many American families from adopting a 
child, my legislation would provide a nonrefundable adoption tax credit 
for up to $5,000 in qualified adoption expenses for families earning up 
to $65,000 in annual adjusted gross income. The credit is available at 
a gradually reduced percentage to families with adjusted gross income 
between $65,000 and $95,000. The credit is available during the year of 
the legal, finalized adoption, but may cover expenses incurred in 
previous years toward the adoption.
  As I will explain in greater detail later, my legislation also would 
allow all families to make penalty free withdrawals of up to $2,000 
from Individual Retirement Accounts to pay adoption expenses. In 
addition, the bill allows employers to offer their employees tax-free 
benefits for adoption. To address the particular problem of placing 
children with special needs in adoptive families, my legislation would 
provide a $7,500 nonrefundable tax credit for such adoptions.
  Mr. President, when couples realize that they are not able to 
conceive their own children or that it is not medically advisable, many 
consider adoption. Many other couples blessed with their own children 
consider adopting a child out of a sense of love and community, 
particularly where a child has been in foster care. These couples 
quickly learn that the costs associated with adoption can be 
prohibitive. It is not uncommon for the adopting family to pay 
thousands of dollars in legal expenses, prenatal care for the birth 
mother, and the cost of the adopted child's hospital delivery. In fact, 
according to information from congressional testimony by the National 
Council on Adoption, adoption costs range between zero and $30,000, 
averaging $15,000 for infants born in the United States.
  My bill includes a provision to encourage in particular the placement 
of special needs children because there is good reason to provide a 
particular incentive for their adoption. This legislation adopts the 
definition contained in the balanced budget legislation and states that 
a child with a special need is one who has a mental, physical or 
emotional handicap or who may fall into a specific age, gender or 
minority group. However, this clinical explanation belies the 
frustrating condition of these children. According to the Ways and 
Means Committee, in fiscal year 1990, 71 percent of children with one 
or more special needs were waiting for adoptive placement. In cases 
where children have medical conditions, most through no fault of their 
own, costs of care can be prohibitive. It then becomes even more 
difficult to place such children in adoptive families because of these 
tragic circumstances. I am hopeful that the $7,500 tax credit will ease 
the financial burden on families considering adopting a special needs 
child. I would note that the credit is not tied solely to the actual 
costs of the adoption, because such adoptions are often less expensive 
than a typical infant adoption. Therefore, this credit is available to 
defray additional expenses of having a special needs child join one's 
family.
  Under current law, if an employer helps to pay an employee's 
pregnancy expenses by funding an insurance policy or paying the fees 
for an employee to join an health maintenance organization, these 
expenses are treated as tax-free fringe benefits. But if an employer 
helps his or her employees with adoption expenses, it has to pay these 
expenses in after-tax dollars. That is why my legislation provides that 
employer-provided adoption assistance is tax free for up to $5,000 in 
benefits for each child (up to $7,500 for special needs children). This 
tax provision is also phased out based on income, but at a higher level 
than the tax credit, in order to allow more families to take full 
advantage of employee fringe benefits. I am proud to mention that 
several companies in Pennsylvania, including First Pennsylvania Bank, 
Rohm and Haas, and Wyeth-Ayerst already provide adoption assistance to 
their employees. Other companies offering such benefits include General 
Motors, DuPont and PepsiCo.

  Finally, I have included provisions in my legislation to allow the 
penalty-free withdrawal from Individual Retirement Accounts [IRA] to 
help cover the costs of adoption expenses. I understand the fact that a 
tax credit is simply not enough to cover all the expenses associated 
with adoption. I believe the federal tax code must encourage savings 
and reward taxpayers not penalize them for the wise uses of their hard-
earned money. I have supported other efforts in the past that would 
allow the use of IRA funds for personal capital expenses such as 
purchase of a family home, investment in college education, or payment 
of medical expenses. In my judgment, using IRA funds for adoption 
expenses is equally meritorious.
  Given prior support in both the Senate and House for some type of tax 
incentives to promote adoption, I am hopeful that my colleagues will 
favorably consider the mix of incentives contained in the Adoption 
Promotion Act of 1996 and enact this legislation in the near future. By 
reducing the financial hurdles to adoption, I hope we will be able to 
give new hope to the thousands of children who live in foster care 
awaiting the chance to be brought into a loving family environment 
permanently. In conclusion, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to 
have printed in the Congressional Record a ``Dear Colleague'' letter, 
dated March 25, together with a summary of the legislative provisions, 
together with the bills themselves, which identify the 14 sponsors of 
the abstinence bill and the 12 sponsors of the adoption bill, together 
with seven letters: one from David Keene of the American Conservative 
Union; the second from Danelle Stone and Melissa Mizner of the Catholic 
Charities (Erie Diocese); the third from Pastor Horace W. Strand of the 
Faith Temple Holy Church and Christian School; the fourth from 
Commissioner Colin A. Hanna of Chester County; the fifth from 
Commissioner Joseph A. Ford of Washington County; the sixth from 
Commissioner Jim Beckwith of Mifflin County; and the seventh from 
President Carol Jean Vale of Chestnut Hill College.

[[Page S4326]]

  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                             United States Senate,


                             Select Committee on Intelligence,

                                   Washington, DC, March 25, 1996.
       Dear Colleague: I am writing to urge you to cosponsor two 
     bills I intend to introduce shortly: the Adolescent Family 
     Life and Abstinence Education Act of 1966 and the Adoption 
     Promotion Act of 1996.
       While there are obviously great differences of opinion on 
     the pro-life-pro-choice issue, there is a consensus that all 
     efforts should be made to prevent unwanted teen pregnancies 
     through abstinence. The first bill does just that.
       Where tax breaks for adoption would encourage carrying to 
     term, we should act on that as well. The second bill does 
     just that.
       The following describes the essence of the two bills:
       Adolescent Family Life and Abstinence Education Act of 
     1966--Reauthorizes the Adolescent Family Life (Title XX) 
     program, which funds demonstration projects focusing on 
     abstinence, adolescent sexuality, adoption alternatives, 
     pregnancy and parenting. This program had bipartisan support 
     when originally enacted in 1981 and when it was reauthorized 
     in 1984. Authority for Title XX expired in 1985 and since 
     then, the program has been operating under funding provided 
     in the annual Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations bill. 
     For FY 1996, the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations 
     Subcommittee, which I chair, has provided $7.7 million for 
     the Adolescent Family Life program. Congress should 
     reauthorize Title XX to demonstrate our commitment to 
     abstinence education and the physical and emotional health of 
     adolescents.
       The Adoption Promotion Act of 1996--Provides tax incentives 
     to encourage adoption, a policy which serves as a 
     compassionate response to children whose own parents are 
     unable or unwilling to care for them. This is particularly 
     important in an era when so many teenagers are having babies 
     and are unable to care for them. This proposal is based 
     substantially on the provisions contained in the balanced 
     budget legislation which Congress passed in 1995 but was 
     vetoed by the President.
       I hope you will cosponsor one or both of these bills. If 
     you are interested, please contact me or have your staff 
     contact Dan Renberg at 224-4254.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Arlen Specter.

       P.S. A more detailed statement of the bills is enclosed. My 
     office and I would be glad to provide additional information 
     upon request.
                                                                    ____


            Specter Proposals To Deal With Teenage Pregnancy


      adolescent family life and abstinence education act of 1996

       Reauthorizes Adolescent Family Life program (Title XX) for 
     the first time since 1984, and at a higher ($75,000,000) 
     level than before. It has been funded annually in Labor, HHS 
     appropriations, but without authorization or reform.
       This HHS program provides demonstration grants and 
     contracts for initiatives focusing directly on issues of 
     abstinence, adolescent sexuality, adoption alternatives, 
     pregnancy and parenting.
       The bill adds ``abstinence'' expressly into the statutory 
     definition of educational services that can be provided under 
     the program. (Such education is already available, but the 
     statute wasn't explicit in this regard.)
       The bill requires the Secretary of HHS to establish an 
     expedited, simplified process for consideration of grant 
     applications for less than $15,000. (Some organizations that 
     wish to implement small teen pregnancy programs are unable to 
     cope with the current process.)
       Requires the Secretary to ensure, to the maximum extent 
     practicable, that approved grant applications adequately 
     represent both urban and rural areas.


                     adoption promotion act of 1996

       Builds on adoption tax incentives contained in Section 
     11003 of Balanced Budget Act of 1995 (budget reconciliation) 
     conference report.
       For qualified adoption expenses, provides up to a $5,000 
     adoption tax credit ($7,500 for children with special needs--
     age, ethnic group, physical/mental/emotional handicap). 
     Credit is phased out beginning at $65,000 adjusted gross 
     income and is eliminated at $95,000.
       Provides for penalty-free IRA withdrawals of up to $2,000 
     for qualified adoption expenses.
       Tax-free treatment of employer-provided adoption 
     assistance, to level the playing field with tax-free 
     treatment of employer-provided pregnancy expenses. Exclusion 
     from gross income of up to $5,000 in benefits ($7,500 for 
     special needs children), phasing out from $75,000 to 
     $115,000.
                                                                    ____



                              The American Conservative Union,

                                   Alexandria, VA, March 27, 1996.
     Hon. Arlen Specter,
     U.S. Senate, Senate Office Bldg.,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Specter: Your recent introduction of 
     legislation to provide tax incentives designed to promote 
     adoption is to be commended.
       On behalf of the more than one million members and 
     supporters of the American Conservative Union, I can say 
     without reservation that your approach to helping parents 
     seeking adoptive children and those children who in our 
     society are too often shunted aside deserves wide public 
     support.
       It is my hope that it will also enjoy widespread 
     Congressional support.
           Sincerely Yours,
                                                   David A. Keene,
     Chairman, ACU.
                                                                    ____

                                               Catholic Charities,


                             Counseling And Adoption Services,

                                         Erie, PA, March 11, 1996.
     Hon. Arlen Specter,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Specter, Thank you for sending a copy of the 
     draft of the bills and a draft of the floor statement 
     concerning the Adolescent Family Life and Abstinence 
     Education Act and the Adoption Promotion Act.
       A tax credit for adoption would be highly favored by 
     prospective adoptive couples and would certainly benefit 
     those children waiting for permanent families.
       For the past four years, Melissa Mizner, therapist, and 
     myself have presented a program to school students promoting 
     sexual abstinence. We have conducted 95 presentations in over 
     25 schools both public and private for approximately 4,400 
     students in grades six to twelve. Catholic Charities 
     Counseling and Adoption Services has assumed the financial 
     burden of presenting this program despite our numerous 
     attempts to secure outside funding. The agency recognizes the 
     importance of this message and feels prevention services is 
     money well spent.
       We have not applied for money from Title XX because the 
     process for application is so difficult for the small amount 
     of $3,000 to $5,000 we would require each year to provide 
     this program. I wish this process could be simplified for 
     agencies requesting smaller grants from the Adolescent Family 
     Life program. If it were, other agencies in Pennsylvania 
     might consider providing a similar program such as ours.
       We are in full favor of your two proposed bills. If we can 
     be of any assistance in providing support for these 
     proposals, please do not hesitate to contact the agency.
       Thank you for taking the time to keep us informed and 
     aware.
           Sincerely,
     Danelle Stone, BSSW,
       Adoption Coordinator.
     Melissa Mizner, MS, NCC,
       Marriage and Family Therapist.
                                                                    ____

                                         Faith Temple Holy Church,


                                         and Christian School,

                                                    March 8, 1996.
     Senator Arlen Specter,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Specter, Thank you for giving; me the opportunity 
     to review your statement to the Senate on the need to amend 
     Title XX to include the teaching of Abstinence, and the 
     promotion of the 1996 Adoption Act. First I want to say how 
     much I appreciated hearing of the value your parents placed 
     on the Institution of Marriage. The personal example of you 
     and your siblings demonstrate that their value was not lost 
     with them. I was also pleased to hear of your personal 
     position on Abortion, and I can appreciate your position on 
     Choice; even though I strongly believe in the protection of 
     Life from the moment of conception. I think that more of your 
     constituents should know you are not an advocate of Abortion; 
     but a advocate of personal rights.
       This amendment to Title XX can be the instrument to bring 
     both sides together, and stop the need for most abortions by 
     decreasing the growing rate of un-intended pregnancies. The 
     additional funding, and the promotion of the Adoption Act of 
     1996 will help tremendously. Please be advised that as a 
     Pastor, and school Administrator, I can see the need for 
     resources being allocated for this purpose. If I can be of 
     any help to you in promoting this worthy endeavor; please 
     feel free to call on me.
           Yours in His Service,
                                             Dr. Horace W. Strand,
     Pastor.
                                                                    ____

                                            The County of Chester,


                                  Office of the Commissioners,

                                 West Chester, PA, March 14, 1996.
     The Hon. Arlen Specter
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Arlen: It was great to see you again at the 
     Conservative Political Action Conference last month, and to 
     learn from your letter of March 7 of your support of such a 
     bedrock conservative cause as abstinence education. Please 
     let me know if there is anything I can do to help advance 
     that agenda here in Chester County.
           With warmest regards, I am
                                                   Colin A. Hanna,
     Commissioner.
                                                                    ____

                                             County of Washington,


                                 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,

                                   Washington, PA, March 19, 1996.
     Hon. Arlen Specter,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Specter: This is in response to your letter of 
     March 7, 1996, regarding your proposed legislation under the 
     titles of the Adolescent Family Life and Abstinence Education 
     Act of 1996 and the Adoption Promotion Act of 1996.

[[Page S4327]]

       First of all, abstinence education is very important if 
     provided in an educational forum. Since many of our young 
     adults are members of one parent families whose family time 
     is limited by being the sole provider and, therefore, unable 
     to provide the ongoing moral and family stability. Because of 
     changes in society, our children can no longer be guaranteed 
     to receive the educational and moral values found in a stable 
     family unit. As professionals responsible for educating our 
     children, we have to go beyond the traditional reading, 
     writing and arithmetic in preparing them for adult life. With 
     this in mind, the need to continue with abstinence education 
     is vital to the development of a moral society.
       Secondly, the idea of tax incentives for adoptive parents 
     would help ease the burden for those families who are more 
     than willing to adopt but are not financially able to do so. 
     This would also reduce the cost and the tragedy of long term 
     foster care. The long term financial benefits of such an 
     incentive plan can only benefit those children today and 
     society tomorrow.
       In conclusion, I would like to offer Washington County's 
     support on your proposed legislation.
           Sincerely yours,

                                Joseph A. Ford, Sr., Chairman.

     Washington County Board of Commissioners,
                                                                    ____

                                            Chestnut Hill College,


                                      Office of the President,

                                                   March 12, 1996.
     Hon. Arlen Specter,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Specter: I am writing to ask you to consider 
     introducing a bi-partisan amendment to restore targeted 
     programs to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3019). 
     Central to such an amendment is the restoration of the 
     Perkins Loan and SSIG. As you know, thousands of Pennsylvania 
     college students will be affected by decisions governing the 
     future of such financial assistance.
       As in the past, I know I can count on your support of 
     private higher education in the Commonwealth and throughout 
     the nation.
       I applaud your plan to introduce legislation titled 
     Adolescent Family Life and Abstinence Education Act of 1996 
     and the Adoption Promotion Act of 1996. I agree 
     wholeheartedly that people on both sides of the abortion 
     issue can work together to promote mutually agreeable 
     alternatives to abortion. Moreover, your observation that the 
     country needs to assess and respond to ``leading moral 
     indicators'' is cogent, insightful, and timely.
       As always, Senator, I respect your ability to cut to the 
     core of issues, to name the problems, and to offer solutions. 
     In addition, I appreciate your balanced approach to public 
     policy. Different viewpoints do not have to divide, rather, 
     they can be starting points for discussions that empower 
     people with varying perspectives to meet on common ground and 
     thereby establish a common agenda that will benefit the 
     citizens of this country.
       Thank you for sending me your proposed legislation and for 
     championing causes that I, as a citizen, deeply value.
       May God bless you Joan, and your family.
           Cordially,
                                       Carol Jean Vale, SSJ, Ph.D.
     President.
                                                                    ____


  Cosponsors to Specter Abstinence/Adoption Bills As of April 29, 1996


      adolescent family life and abstinence education act of 1996

       Santorum, Jeffords, Lugar, Inouye, Leahy, Simpson, 
     Hatfield, Coats, Stevens, Pryor, Bond, Conrad and DeWine.


                     adoption promotion act of 1996

       Santorum, Jeffords, Lugar, Harkin, Inouye, Leahy, Campbell, 
     Cochran, Hatfield, Stevens and Bond.
                                                                    ____

                                           County Commissioners of


                                               Mifflin County,

                                    Lewistown, PA, March 28, 1996.
     Hon. Arlen Specter,
     U.S. Senator, Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Specter: Thank you for providing me with a 
     copy of the Bill you are planning to introduce under titles 
     of the Adolescent Family Life and Abstinence Education Act of 
     1996 and the Adoption Promotion Act of 1996.
       Adoption Reform is long overdue and perhaps this could be 
     the first step of a change.
       It is appalling how many children are raised without 
     loving, caring parents because of our archaic laws. I firmly 
     believe, less costly, more accessible adoption could go a 
     long way in cutting the abortion rates.
       I commend you on taking the initiative to address this 
     important issue.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Jim Beckwith,
     Mifflin County Commissioner.

                          ____________________