December 29, 2022

$1.7 Trillion Spending Bill includes $286 Million for Title X

The $1.7 trillion spending bill expected to be signed by President Joe Biden includes $286 million to fund "voluntary family planning projects" through Title X. Recipients of these funds will include pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood.

The bill does include the Hyde amendment, which limits how tax dollars can directly fund abortion. Specifically, the amendment prevents tax dollars from being used to fund abortions in the US except in cases of rape, incest, or when the woman's life is at risk. The funding will still help Planned Parenthood by freeing them to use other funds for pro-abortion goals.

The bill passed in the House by a vote of 225-201. It passed in the Senate by a vote of 68-29.

Pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood lamented the Hyde Amendment's inclusion and the fact that the Title X funding amount was not increased from previous years. Funding has remained at $286 million for nine years, but pro-abortion groups argued for an increase due to the Supreme Court's decision overruling Roe v. Wade.

“Congress had a clear directive and they failed to deliver,” Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson told Politico. “At a time when Roe v. Wade has been overturned and health care access is under increasing threat, this bill fails to meet the moment.”