Senator David Vitter (R-LA) introduced an amendment to the Senate omnibus appropriations bill currently under debate that would drastically cut family planning funding under Title X. Title X provides federal funds to subsidize family planning services and preventive healthcare.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, “over the past 30 years, Title X family planning clinics have played a critical role in ensuring access to a broad range of family planning and related preventive health services for millions of low-income or uninsured individuals and others.” In 2006, approximately 5 million received healthcare services as a result of Title X funds.
In an e-mail sent from President of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards yesterday, Richard says that “This is the worst possible time for these outrageous attacks. More and more people are losing their jobs and their health insurance and that means that safety-net providers like Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers are more important than ever. It’s unconscionable to try to strip our funding at time when so many people are relying on us but that’s exactly what Sen. Vitter and his allies are trying to do.”
