[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1485-E1486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EVA M. CLAYTON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 1996

  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we have established a 
congressional advisory panel to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen 
Pregnancy. This bipartisan, multiidealogical panel is an important 
step. During the 104th Congress, I have spoken out often and devoted 
more time and energy to teen pregnancy prevention.
  The ``Kids Having Kids'' report recently released by the Robinhood 
Foundation gives the alarming costs and consequences of teenage 
childbearing. It shows that teenage childbearing costs U.S. taxpayers a 
staggering $6.9 billion per year and the cost to the Nation in lost 
productivity rises to as much as $29 billion annually. The consequences 
to the families and the children of these teen parents in health, 
social, and economic development are devastating.

[[Page E1486]]

  Let me just list a few of the report's findings about children born 
to teenage mothers:
  They are more likely to be born prematurely and 50 percent more 
likely to be born low birthweight than if their mothers had waited 4 
years to bear them.
  They are twice as likely to be abused or neglected.
  They are 50 percent more likely to repeat a grade and perform 
significantly worse on cognitive development tests.
  The girls born to adolescent moms are up to 83 percent more likely to 
become teenage moms themselves.
  The sons of adolescent mothers are up to 2.7 times more likely to 
land in prison than their counterparts in the comparison group. By 
extension, adolescent childbearing in and of itself costs taxpayers 
roughly $1 billion each year to build and maintain prisons for the sons 
of young mothers.
  ``Kids Having Kids'' is the most comprehensive report done on the 
costs and consequences of teenage pregnancy to parents, children, and 
society. This groundbreaking report graphically illustrates this 
financial loss in terms of social and economic costs to our Nation.
  I commend this report to all of my colleagues as essential reading.
  Yesterday, the House passed the welfare reform conference agreement, 
with the Senate expected to vote on it today. This welfare reform 
legislation will then be signed into law by the President. However, we 
should realize that this alone will not prevent or drastically reduce 
teenage pregnancy. A far more expansive effort will be required to 
motivate and encourage young people to take positive development 
options rather than the negative options that result in teen pregnancy.
  We, in the House, missed an opportunity to make a statement about 
teen pregnancy prevention and to provide funding for the $30 million 
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative requested in the Labor, Health and 
Human Services and Education appropriations bill. Thirty million 
dollars is less than one-half of 1 percent of the 6.9 billion tax 
dollars per year spent on teenagers once they become pregnant and give 
birth.
  Each year approximately 1 million teenagers become pregnant. Once a 
teenager becomes pregnant there simply is no good solution to the 
problem. The best solution is to prevent the pregnancy in the first 
place.
  Teenage pregnancy is a condition that can be prevented. It is 
critical that this Nation take a clear stand against teenage pregnancy. 
Devoting more energy, resources, and funding to preventing teen 
pregnancy will not only save us money in the long run, but it will also 
improve the health, education and economic opportunities of our 
Nation's youth.
  The situation is urgent. I encourage other House Members and Senators 
and all Americans to unite in a sustained, comprehensive effort to 
prevent teen pregnancy.

                          ____________________