[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E251]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     IN SUPPORT OF TITLE X FUNDING

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 16, 2011

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of the Lowey 
amendment to restore funding for Title X family planning programs. My 
colleagues have spoken about the achievements of Title X, so I want to 
focus on what elimination of this highly successful program would mean 
to the citizens of California.
  As you all know, California has been hit extremely hard by this 
recession and is struggling just to meet the basic needs of its 
residents. In 2010, Title X funded health care services for over 1.2 
million people--which represent 20 percent of all Title X participants. 
In my district alone, over 33,000 people relied on Title X-funded 
clinics for their primary health care needs. Eliminating Title X funds 
would result in a critical loss of vital health care services to an 
already struggling state with limited resources.
  My district has been profoundly affected by the Medicare 
reimbursement issue because, while we are a high cost area comparable 
to San Francisco, the reimbursement rate reflects rural costs. As a 
direct result of doctors no longer accepting Medicare patients, many 
seniors have been forced to turn to Title X clinics for their basic 
health care needs. Older adults, both men and women, are able to 
receive immunizations, physicals, diabetes testing, and STD testing and 
treatment, in addition to typical gynecological services. If Title X 
funds are eliminated, these seniors will lose the only access to health 
care that is available to them.
  A vote in support of this amendment is a vote in favor of allowing 
millions of Americans access to vital health care services. I urge my 
colleagues to vote in favor of the Lowey Amendment to restore funding 
to Title X.

                          ____________________