Congress Eliminates Anti-Discrimination Protections for Reproductive Health Care Providers Receiving Title X Funding for Family Planning Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2017
Contact: Christie Petrone, 646-520-3504, [email protected]

Low-Income Women, Women of Color Will Disproportionately Lose Access to Critical Preventive Care
Statement by National Institute for Reproductive Health President Andrea Miller

“The Senate’s passage of HJ Resolution 43 today reverses the Obama regulation eliminating discrimination in Title X funding to reproductive health care clinics that separately provide abortion services. Vice President Pence’s tie-breaking vote in the Senate is a continuation of the Trump administration’s record of advancing policies that endanger the health and lives of women. Since the House passed an identical bill on Feb. 16, this legislation now requires only the president’s signature for approval.

“More than 4 million low-income, under-insured, and uninsured women rely on Title X services, the nation’s only dedicated family planning safety-net program. Those already facing systemic barriers to health care access, including women of color, will once again be disproportionately harmed by a reduction in Title X funding to the clinics that serve them.

“Congress has demonstrated a callous disregard for the health and well-being of our nation’s most underserved populations, who may be left without access to critical health care services, including family planning, cancer screenings, well-woman exams, and screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.

“We urge President Trump to reject this heinous legislation and ensure that highly qualified health care providers are able to provide abortions and meet the full range of health care needs of the women in the communities they serve.”

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The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) builds power at the state and local levels to change public policy, galvanize public support, and normalize women’s decisions about abortion and contraception.