For Immediate Release: January 24, 2017
Contact: Audrey Sandusky, (202) 344-5805, asandusky@nfprha.org
NFPRHA Opposes Confirmation of Congressman Tom Price as HHS Secretary
Nominee’s Record Demonstrates Opposition to Access to Health Care
WASHINGTON, DC – In a letter sent to the Senate Finance Committee today, NFPRHA expressed its opposition to the nomination of Representative Tom Price (R-GA) as Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services citing his long history of not supporting the publicly funded family planning network and the millions of patients it serves.
“Representative Price’s record demonstrates his opposition to many federal programs that enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans – which is the mission of the Department of Health and Human Services. NFPRHA is especially concerned about access to health care for the millions of poor, low-income and underserved persons who rely on federal health programs. NFPRHA urges lawmakers to carefully review the record and reject this nominee,” said Clare Coleman, President & CEO of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA).
Over his six terms in the US House, Price has opposed a number of federal public health and public insurance programs that are essential for the health and well-being of Americans. He voted against the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He has consistently supported efforts to repeal the law even as 20 million Americans gained coverage, and millions more with insurance gained important benefits and protections, under its provisions. He has endorsed proposals that would undermine Medicaid -- specifically, by voting to eliminate Medicaid’s longstanding ‘freedom of choice’ protection, supporting cuts to Medicaid funding, and endorsing the use of block grants and per capita caps to reshape the program.
Rep. Price has supported efforts to eliminate the Title X family planning program, and ban Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving federal funding. In addition, Price has opposed expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program, which covers poor children and adolescents who otherwise have no insurance, and proposed eliminating the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which was created to strengthen America’s public health workforce and infrastructure as well as address population health challenges.
Read the full letter here (PDF).
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NFPRHA represents the broad spectrum of family planning administrators and clinicians serving the nation's low-income and uninsured. NFPRHA’s nearly 900 member organizations operate or fund a network of nearly 5,000 health centers and service sites that provide comprehensive family planning services to millions of low-income and uninsured or underinsured individuals in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam.