[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 27 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2011

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                               speech of

                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense and the other 
     departments and agencies of the Government for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes:

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chair, I strongly oppose this bill's 
elimination of funding for Title X family planning services.
  This extremely successful program helps both men and women access 
lifesaving preventative healthcare, including breast exams, cancer 
screenings, and HIV tests.
  The proposed cuts in H.R. 1 would eliminate these, which is 
unconscionable.
  If my colleagues across the aisle really want to reduce the number of 
abortions in this country, they should support Title X funding which 
helps prevent unintended pregnancies through education and access to 
contraception.
  In my home state of California, Title X helps more than 200,000 women 
avoid unintended pregnancies.
  The birth rate among California teenagers has decreased by more than 
half since 1992. Without Title X funding it would be 37 percent higher!
  Eliminating the $2.2 million in Title X funds that San Diego County 
receives every year will mean taking away care in a state already 
struggling with limited resources.
  I will not let San Diego families lose these valuable health 
services.
  When women have better access to family planning, it leads to 
healthier outcomes for both mother and child.
  Leadership proposes these cuts under the guise of being ``fiscally 
responsible,'' but that is far from reality, particularly for states 
that are in budget crises like California.
  The contraceptive and other reproductive health services provided at 
Title X--supported centers in my state saved $581,890,000 in public 
funds in 2008 alone.
  Cutting family planning is fiscally irresponsible.
  Eliminating it doesn't save taxpayers any money; in fact, it puts 
their health and potentially their lives at risk. That is a cost we 
cannot afford.

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