January 22, 1998

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E

January 22, 1998

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INCREASING SUPPORT FOR FAMILY PLANNING

I will continue to do everything I can to make sure that every child in America is a wanted child, raised in a loving, strong family. Ultimately, that is the idea the anniversary of Roe v. Wade celebrates.

President Bill Clinton
January 22, 1998

Today, marks the 25th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that affirmed every woman's right to choose whether and when to have a child. President Clinton is committed to ensuring this right, and in doing so, to protecting two of our nation's most deeply-held values, personal privacy and family responsibility.

Prevention and Family Planning. During the last five years, the Administration has worked hard to reduce the need for abortions and to prevent unintended pregnancy by making comprehensive family planning and sex education programs more widely available. The President's FY 1999 budget calls for:

Increased Funding for Title X. The proposal will increase Title X Family Planning grants by $15 million -- a 46% increase since FY1992.
Medicaid and Other Services. The proposal will provide almost $500 million in federal funds to Medicaid to support family planning services. Additionally, the Maternal & Child Health Block Grant, the Social Services Block Grant, and the Preventive Health Block Grant will provide $100 million to state and local communities for family planning services.
Prevention Education and Research. The proposal will provide about $200 million for the National Institutes of Health's research on infertility, contraception, and related matters, and CDC's programs to educate teenagers about sexual development and abstinence. Additionally, Health and Human Service's teen pregnancy prevention and related youth programs will continue to engage the Girl Power! education initiative in sustained efforts to promote pregnancy prevention among girls 9- to 14-years-old.

A Comprehensive Approach to Family Planning. Under the President's proposal nearly 5 million clients each year at more than 4,700 family planning clinics nationwide, would have access to a comprehensive set of family planning services including contraceptive services, pregnancy testing, sexually transmitted disease screening and treatment, and education and outreach.

Supporting International Family Planning. The Administration is strongly committed to international family planning efforts. The President has blocked several Congressional attempts to prohibit funding for international family planning groups that use their own funding to lobby on behalf of abortion rights or perform abortions. Under the President's Budget, bilateral assistance provided through AID and assistance to the United Nations Population Fund will grow to $425 million in FY 1999, a 32% increase over FY 1992.

January 22, 1998