Fiscal Year 2010: Labor/HHS Appropriations
Abstinence Education Funding
House: As reported from House committee on July 22, the Fiscal Year 2010 Labor/Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3293) eliminated distinct funding for abstinence education for adolescents and replaced it with something called "a new evidence-basedteenage pregnancy prevention initiative" (House Report 111-220, p. 176). In a July 16 letter to the committee, Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, had urged the retention of distinct funding for abstinence education.“Forcing all federally funded programs to promote a ‘comprehensive’ approach would undermine the abstinence message, by requiring that all programs simultaneously promote the misleading message that sexual activity is ‘safe’ for minors when contraceptives are used.” On July 24, H.R. 3293 passed the House. Senate: As reported from the Appropriations Committee on August 4, the Senate version of the Fiscal Year 2010 Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3293) also eliminated distinct funding for abstinence education and replaced it with “a new program to fund evidence-based efforts to reduce teen pregnancy” (Senate Report 111-66, p. 6). H.R. 3293 has not been considered on the Senate floor.
Defunding Planned Parenthood House: During floor consideration of H.R. 3293, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) offered an amendment to deny U.S. funds to Planned Parenthood, which in 2008 received almost $350 million in taxpayer dollars while performing over 300,000 abortions. On July 24, the Pence Amendment was defeated, 183-yes, 247-no, 9-not voting.
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