Fiscal Year 2010: Labor/HHS Appropriations
House: As reported from committee on July 22, the Fiscal Year 2010 Labor/Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3293) retained longstanding abortion funding prohibitions and related policies.
Abstinence Funding: However, the bill eliminated distinct funding for abstinence education for adolescents and replaced it with what the committee called "a evidence-based pregnancy prevention initiative" (House Report 111-220, p. 176). On July 16, Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, had sent a letter to the Appropriations Committee, urging the retention of the Hyde Amendment and other abortion funding restriction riders, the Weldon conscience protection amendment, and distinct funding for abstinence education. With respect to the latter, the Cardinal noted, “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.” For full text of letter, see: nchla.org/datasource/idocuments/rigalilhhsappropshousecomm.pdf.
Defund Planned Parenthood: For floor consideration of H.R. 3293, the rule allowed for a vote on an amendment by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) to defund Planned Parenthood. “None of the funds made available under this Act shall be available to Planned Parenthood for any purpose under title X of the Public Health Service Act.” The amendment was co-sponsored by Reps. Anh Cao (R-LA), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Lee Terry (R-NE), Joseph Pitts (R-PA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Robert Latta (R-OH). Rep. Pence argued that Planned Parenthood is the largest recipient of family planning (Title X) money and is also the largest abortion provider in America—over 300,000 abortions performed last year while receiving almost $350 million in taxpayer dollars. “We cannot reduce the number of abortions in America while increasing Federal funding to the Nation’s leading abortion provider.” (CR, H8783, 7/24/09) On July 24, the Pence Amendment was defeated, 183-yes, 247-no, 9-not voting (Roll Call 643). See: clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll643.xml.
H.R. 3293 funds Fiscal Year 2010 Title X family planning programs at $317 million, a $10 million increase over the current fiscal year.
Senate
Committees: On July 28, the appropriations subcommittee approved the Senate Fiscal Year 2010 Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill (not yet numbered). According to reports, the subcommittee’s markup follows the House: Longstanding abortion funding prohibitions and related policies are retained; distinct funding for abstinence education was eliminated and replaced with funding for teen pregnancy prevention. According to a subcommittee press release: “The bill includes $104 million for a new program to fund evidence-based efforts to reduce teen pregnancy.” Full committee markup took place on July 30. The committee report confirms that the distinct abstinence education program was replaced with “a new program to fund evidence-based efforts to reduce teen pregnancy” (Senate Report 111-66, p. 6).
Floor: Floor action has not yet been scheduled.
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