Dianne Feinstein: “I rise today with Senators Chafee, Snowe, Schumer, Collins, Bingaman, Specter, Clinton, Jeffords, Graham, Harkin, and…”

“I rise today with Senators Chafee, Snowe, Schumer, Collins, Bingaman, Specter, Clinton, Jeffords, Graham, Harkin, and Corzine to introduce the Family Planning State Empowerment Act of 2001. The Family Planning State Empowerment Act of 2001 would give States the option to provide family planning services to low-income women who do not qualify for Medicaid. Each year, approximately 3 million pregnancies, or about half of all pregnancies, are unintended. Increasing access to family planning services could help avert these 3 million unintended pregnancies and all the decisions and costs associated with either continuing or terminating a pregnancy. Family planning services give women the necessary tools to space the births of their children, which improves women's health and reduces rates of infant mortality. Medicaid family planning is also cost effective. For every $1 invested in family planning, $3 are saved in pregnancy and health care-related costs.”