Murray Applauds Investment in Key Programs to Prevent Teen Pregnancy in Washington State

Washington state receives over $5.7 million to support teen pregnancy prevention programs

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of both the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee applauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health’s announcement that Washington state will receive over $5.7 million in teen pregnancy prevention grants. The funds will help implement and evaluate evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs in communities where teen pregnancy rates are higher than average, and will test new, innovative approaches to combating teen pregnancy.  Teenage pregnancy in the U.S. has dropped significantly in the past decade, showing the critical importance of these programs to continuing progress.

“Today’s announcement is great news for communities across Washington state,” said Senator Murray. “As work continues to reduce the rate of teen pregnancy, it is critical to ensure we are reaching young people in communities where teen pregnancies remain high–which is why it is so disappointing that Republicans in Congress have proposed deep cuts to these effective programs. I look forward to working to protect and invest in approaches that have a proven record of reducing teen pregnancy.” 

Murray recently urged colleagues to oppose the Senate Republican Fiscal Year 2016 LHHS spending bill, which cuts the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program by $87.8 million, or 81 percent, while increasing funding for abstinence-only education which is shown to be ineffective and frequently medically inaccurate. During Full Committee markup of the bill last month, Senator Murray offered an amendment that would have restored the proposed funding cut to this program. 

Read more about Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grants here.

Funding totals for Washington state:

Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest (Seattle):             $3,749,999

Planned Parenthood of Greater WA & North Idaho (Yakima):         $963,670

Public Health – Seattle and King County (Seattle):                      $1,000,000