Representative Hal Rogers (R-KY), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, announced a list of 70 spending cuts to be included in the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution bill, including a $327 million cut in family planning funds. In 2010, $317 million in federal funding was allocated to family planning programs. Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, explained that the Continuing Resolution would eliminate the Title X family planning program, which gives millions of women access to primary and preventive health care, including cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment.
Richards stated, “Under the guise of cutting the budget, the House leadership is launching an all-out assault on women’s health. The simple fact is, family planning programs like Title X save money. For every public dollar invested in family planning, taxpayers save nearly $4.”
The total amount of the spending cuts in the bill will exceed $74 billion. The bill also includes a proposed $210 million cut in maternal and child health block grants.
