[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 27 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E288-E289]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 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:

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, today I rise to oppose the reckless 
Republican proposal to eliminate funding for the Title X Family 
Planning Program. This cut is a legislative assault on women's health 
and a failure of House Republicans to strengthen American families. 
Instead of focusing on issues Americans are most concerned about, like 
creating jobs, House Republicans have decided to target women's health 
programs and women's health providers under the guise of deficit 
reduction.
  Since 1970, Title X Family Planning Program has been a critical 
component of our nation's health care infrastructure and an essential 
vehicle in preventing unintended pregnancies and providing basic 
primary and preventive health care, including annual exams lifesaving 
screenings for illnesses like breast cancer, cervical cancer and HIV. 
If these cuts are allowed to become law, 5 million Americans will lose 
these services and women's access to health care will be severely 
restricted.
  House Republicans are using this legislation to mislead the American 
people by suggesting that federal funds are being used to pay for 
abortions. This is flatly untrue, since federal law has already banned 
Title X funds from being used for abortion services. Moreover, in 2008 
Title X supported services prevented 973,000 unintended pregnancies 
which resulted in thousands of fewer abortions. However, if Title X 
Family Planning Programs are eliminated more women will experience 
unintended pregnancies and face potentially life-threatening cancer and 
other diseases that could have been prevented.
  Preventing women's health centers from receiving this critical 
funding stream is not the answer and the majority of Americans do not 
support this proposal. According to a January 2011 CBS/New York Times 
survey found that by a margin of 67 percent to 27 percent, Americans 
oppose cuts for health care and education as a means of reducing the 
deficit. Instead, the American people want Congress

[[Page E289]]

to work together to address their top priority, which is creating jobs 
and strengthening middle class families, not imposing new restrictions 
to legal health services and screenings and eliminating critical 
programs. Eliminating Title X funding does not create jobs or help our 
economy. In fact, family planning programs like Title X save money 
because every $1 spent on family planning results in a $4 savings to 
Medicaid. House Republicans proposal to eliminate Title X Family 
Planning goes too far and is bad policy, bad politics, and is flat out 
immoral. I ask that my colleagues join me in opposing cuts to Title X 
Family Planning Program.

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