Statement from The National Campaign on Congressional Continuing Budget Resolution
Washington, DC (PRWEB) December 12, 2016 -- The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy commends Congress for passing the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through April 28, 2017 at current levels. Passage of the resolution means that the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program and Title X Family Planning Program will continue to be funded at their current levels through April 28, 2017.
“We thank Congress for their bipartisan efforts to continue funding such critical programs that provide millions of young women the information and contraceptive services they need,” said Ginny Ehrlich, CEO, The National Campaign. “We urge the incoming Congress to maintain funding for the TPP Program and Title X over the long-term. Continued and consistent funding will ensure that all people—men and women—will have access to the information and services they need to avoid an unplanned pregnancy.”
The TPP Program is an effective and promising example of evidence-based policymaking and has been lauded by independent experts from the Brookings Institution to Results for America. It is one of the few government programs that funds high quality evidence-based programs and continues to rigorously evaluate efforts and results.
Teen pregnancy and birth rates have declined significantly over the last several years. But despite this progress, one in four teen girls will become pregnant before age 20 and disparities in rates of teen and unplanned pregnancy persist. Young women of color and women living in poverty are still more likely to experience an unplanned pregnancy. Recent research conducted by The National Campaign shows that nearly 20 million American women live in contraceptive deserts—defined by their lack of reasonable access to public health care sites offering the full range of contraceptive methods. This is despite the fact that 81% of adults (including 70% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats) agree that birth control is a basic part of women’s health care, according to a survey commissioned by The National Campaign.
“We must continue to provide robust funding for both of these programs,” Ehrlich continued. “The need for education and for publicly funded contraception is already far greater than the supply, and any further cuts will only result in more women lacking information and access to the full range of contraceptive methods.”
About The National Campaign: The National Campaign is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families by preventing teen and unplanned pregnancy. Please visit http://www.TheNationalCampaign.org to find out more.
Julian Teixeira, The National Campaign, +1 (202) 478-8564, [email protected]
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