A Senate appropriations subcommittee approved a 25 percent reduction in abstinence-only funding in a voice vote on Tuesday. The change is included in a $631 billion spending bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, reports the Daily Women’s Health Policy Report.
The bill significantly increases funding for community health centers, from $150 million to $2.2 billion. The bill also provides funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings for low-income women. The legislation exceeds the president’s proposed budget by $7.2 billion and will most likely be vetoed, according to CQ Today. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chairs the subcommittee, plans to bring the bill to the Senate floor in July.
