Friday, November 02, 2007

National Politics & Policy

House-Senate Conference Committee Approves Spending Bill That Includes $27.8M Increase in Abstinence Education Funding

      A House-Senate conference committee on Thursday approved a fiscal year 2008 appropriations measure that would include a $27.8 million increase in funding of abstinence education programs, CQ Today reports. The legislation combines a Labor-HHS-Education spending bill (HR 3043) with a spending bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction (HR 2642) (Wayne, CQ Today, 11/1).

The House-approved version of the Labor-HHS-Education measure, which passed in July, included an increase in funding to $141 million for HHS' Community-Based Abstinence Education Program, which gives grants to groups that teach abstinence but not how to use contraception. The program's allocation in FY 2007 was $109 million, and President Bush requested a $137 million allocation for the program in FY 2008 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 7/20). The Senate-approved version of the measure would have cut abstinence education funding by $28.4 million, but the conference committee agreed to include the $27.8 million increase from the House version, according to CQ Today.

Rep. James Walsh (R-N.Y.) said that House Republicans strongly are opposed to cutting the abstinence programs. Many House Democrats have said funding should be provided for comprehensive sex education programs, which include information on condom use and contraception. Bush has said he would veto the combined spending bill (CQ Today, 10/1). Bush had also threatened to veto the Labor-HHS-Education bill because the legislation exceeds his request for discretionary spending (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 11/1).