For Immediate Release: March 9, 2022
Contact: Audrey Sandusky, asandusky@nfprha.org
Eighth Consecutive Flat Funding Proposal for Title X
Washington, D.C. – Congress introduced its fiscal year (FY) 2022 omnibus spending bill today that flat funds the Title X family planning program at $286.5 million. The following is a statement from Clare Coleman, President & CEO of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association.
“We are devastated that today’s spending bill offers no new aid for the Title X family planning program, the eighth consecutive year of stagnant funding for the safety-net program. Continued flat funding for Title X further exacerbates a growing crisis in access to sexual and reproductive health care in this country. Today’s proposal represents a terrible failure on the part of Congress to even begin to address the damage that created by Trump-era program restrictions and chronic underfunding. At a time when the Title X program is seeing a historic decline in patients, it is inexcusable Congress is paying so little regard for the support that providers need to fill gaps in care across their communities. Today’s funding level not only diminishes any hope to rebuild the program, but it threatens access to critical preventive care, from cancer screenings and HIV testing to a full range of contraceptive methods.
“Other crucial public health priorities, including preventing STDs, improving maternal health, and ending the HIV epidemic, received increases over FY 2021 funding levels, which neither Title X nor the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program did. In addition, the omnibus retains all abortion coverage restrictions that are currently in place. The decision to sideline core sexual and reproductive health priorities at a time when abortion access is facing an existential threat is unacceptable.
“We strongly urge Congress to take a more supportive approach in the FY 2023 appropriations process by allocating at least $512 million for the Title X program and removing the racist and discriminatory abortion coverage bans.”
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NFPRHA is a membership organization representing publicly funded family planning providers and administrators nationwide. NFPRHA advances and elevates the importance of family planning in the nation’s health care system and promotes and supports the work of family planning providers and administrators, especially those in the safety net. For more information, visit nationalfamilyplanning.org.