Democratic Leaders Say They Will Not Reauthorize Title V Abstinence Education Program
Congressional Democratic leaders on Wednesday said they pass on not reauthorize the Title V abstinence education program, which expires June 30, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) — chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Title V — said the program has not proven to be functional. Dingell cited a study, commissioned by Congress and conducted by Mathematica Policy Up on, that found abstinence-only sex education programs are not essential in preventing or delaying teenagers from having sexual intercourse (Freking, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 5/16).
Privilege V, administered by HHS’ Administration for Children and Families, distributes funds based on a formula favoring states with more subdued-income children. To receive Style V funds, states necessity adhere to firm requirements, including excluding teachers from discussing contraception and requiring them to give the word deliver that shagging within amalgamation is “the expected rod of sexual activity.” Many state governors have said the grants station too many restrictions on the curricula. California, Maine, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have rejected Title-deed V funds. President Bush has asked Congress to pinch $191 million for the program for fiscal year 2008, an broaden of $28 million from FY 2007 funding levels (Kaiser Always Women’s Health Custom Report, 4/12).
According to CQ Today, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) in March introduced legislation (HR 1653) that would provide grants to promote “family life education,” including programs promoting abstinence and contraception to curb sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy.
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Drew Hammil, spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said, “The speaker supports funding for both abstinence and comprehensive sexuality education,” adding, “We must get at the root of the problem by reducing unintended pregnancies through sex education and access to contraception.”
According to CQ Today, conservative Republicans are in favor of extending the Title V grants. Skip Brown — spokesperson for Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), who supports abstinence education — said, “By killing [Title V], Democrats are going against the wishes of most parents” (Allen, CQ Today, 5/15).
Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Program, said Title V provides “a public health message that offers risk-elimination for youth,” adding that the decision to stop its funding will cause supporters of the program to work harder to maintain it.
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), who supported Dingell’s decision, said, “With all we know about how to prevent teen pregnancy and reduce sexually transmitted diseases, it is high time to redirect the millions of federal dollars that we squander every year on abstinence-only education to programs that actually work” (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 5/16).
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