Christopher Shays: “I support the fiscal year 2005 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill, but I would like to…”

“I support the fiscal year 2005 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill, but I would like to state my opposition to the Weldon refusal clause provision. The Weldon provision would exempt health care companies from any federal, state or local government law that ensures women have access to reproductive health services, including information about abortion. If passed, this provision would have many negative effects. It would override federal Title X guidelines that ensure women receive full medical information. A fundamental principle of Title X, the national family planning program, ensures pregnant women who request information about all their medical options, including abortion, be given that information, including a referral upon patient request. I am also concerned this bill does not include an increase in funding for Title X. Each year approximately 4.5 million low-income women and men receive basic health care through 4,600 clinics nation wide that receive Title X funds. This program reduces unintended pregnancies and makes abortion less necessary. Had funding for Title X kept pace with inflation since 1980, with no additional increases, it would be funded today at double its current budget. While Title X is receiving flat funding from last year, H.R. 5006 gives abstinence-only programs an increase of $35 million. Unlike Title X, abstinence-only programs do not provide clinical health services.”