President Bush signed a $555 billion domestic spending bill last week, which included $300 million in funding for Title X family planning programs, a $17 million increase from last year’s $283 million. The bill maintains 2007’s $113 million for community-based abstinence-only programs, according to the Daily Women’s Health Policy Report.
The bill leaves out language that would reverse the Global Gag Rule. However, it does include a measure that severs overseas HIV/AIDS relief from abstinence-only education mandates.
The omnibus domestic spending bill also includes funding increases for veterans’ benefits, college assistance and incentives for reducing carbon emissions, according to the Washington Post.
