"The federal Title X population control program should
be eliminated completely," said Ed Szymkowiak, national director of STOPP
International, a project of American Life League. "Although the Vitter
amendment will not do that, it will stop surgical abortion providers from
getting money from the program. That's a big step in the right direction."
Rep. David Vitter (R-La.) has indicated he intends to offer an amendment to
the 2003 Labor/HHS/Education appropriations bill. The amendment would
stipulate that none of the funds appropriated under Title X of the Public
Health Service Act could go to any private grantee, delegate, or clinic that
provides a chemical or surgical abortion. Current (2002) appropriations for
Title X are $265 million.
"Although Title X population control funds do not currently directly pay for
surgical or RU-486 abortions, Title X does fund organizations that, with
other funds, do provide such abortions," said Szymkowiak. "For example,
Planned Parenthood is getting about $61 million a year from this one program
alone."
Szymkowiak pointed out that even with the Vitter amendment, Title X would
still be funding contraception, "which is intrinsically evil," he added.
"Some of the contraceptives that Title X funds often act to prevent the
implantation of a human embryo in his or her mother's womb, thus killing the
child at a gestational age of about 5 to 7 days. We should not be funding
such killings via our tax dollars."
For additional information on Title X, see the May 2002 edition of STOPP's
Ryan Report.
Release issued: 18 Sept 02
