President Bush Proposes Drastic Cuts in Family Planning Funding

The Bush administration’s proposed budget for 2009 cuts funding for international family planning and reproductive health programs by 29%, a $134 million reduction from the funding levels approved by Congress for 2008. If passed, these decreases will have major repercussions in the countries where we work, many of which are already straining to offer services.

Since the mid-1990s, U.S. funding for family planning and reproductive health has declined. These decreases and a shift away from family planning have directly impacted our programs and their ability to save lives and help men and women plan the timing and number of children they have. Progress in family planning use has slowed in many areas. For example, in Malawi, contraceptive use grew only 0.5% annually from 2000–2004, compared to an average of 2.35% annually in the 1990s.

Meanwhile, the global demand for family planning and the need for other sexual and reproductive health services are greater now than ever before, as more than 1 billion youths aged 15–24 enter their reproductive years and 350 million couples lack access to contraception.

In 2007, Congress defied the President’s effort to cut family planning funding. Because of the drastic implications these reductions would have on people around the world, we need to stand up again. Supporters of reproductive health are encouraged to write their representatives in Congress to ask that they again reject the President’s request and demand increased funds for family planning. We will continue to keep you abreast of the latest developments.