President Bush Seeks Increased Abstinence Funding

February 02, 2002—Washington, DC: The Bush administration is asking Congress for a 33 percent increase in funding for sexual abstinence education programs, which bar discussion of birth control or condoms.

Spending on abstinence education has been climbing over the last five years. Pro-life advocates argue the programs provide crucial balance to tax dollars spent teaching teens about contraception.

In the budget he submits to Congress next week, the president will propose a total of $135 million for "abstinence-only" programs, an increase of $33 million over this year, according to an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The request fulfills a pledge Bush made while campaigning for president to spend as much promoting abstinence as some have calculated the government spends educating teens about contraception.

Supporters of the program note that abstinence from sex is the only certain way to prevent pregnancy and disease. They say discussing the benefits of birth control indirectly endorses teen sex.

"The president feels, the administration feels, a lot of people in Congress feel that this is a much better way to attempt to solve this problem of teen-age pregnancy," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said in an interview Wednesday. "Let's try them out and see if we can't get it to work."

Thompson added that he is interested to see the results of extensive research on the program's effectiveness now under way. "I'm a results-oriented kind of person," he said.

Proponents argue that the nation has spent considerable money on birth control services and yet nearly 900,000 teen-agers get pregnant each year.

Opponents say it's unrealistic to push abstinence, given that many teen-agers are having sex already and that the surgeon general and others say there is no evidence the programs work.

"I find it stunning that an administration that touts the values of science when it comes to environmental policy can't run fast enough away from science when it comes to sexual health," said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, which supports "abstinence-plus" programs. These encourage teens to say no to sex but suggest contraceptives and condoms for those who do not.

Intense debate over abstinence-only programs began in 1995 and 1996, when Congress was writing the massive welfare overhaul. The final legislation included $50 million per year for abstinence education, to be nearly matched by participating states. The money may not used for programs that discuss the benefits of contraception.

Under the law, the programs must meet one of eight goals. Among them: teaching that sex outside marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects, how to reject sexual advances and why drugs and alcohol make that more difficult.

Uncomfortable with the program, some states used their money to run pro-virginity media campaigns or after-school programs that make little if any mention of sex or abstinence.

Pro-life advocates in Congress complained that states were dodging the intent of the program and created new pool of abstinence-only money which is distributed directly by HHS. This program, which is where Bush is asking for the increased funding, is meant to pay for programs that overtly discuss the value of not having sex.

According to the administration official, the Bush budget will ask Congress for abstinence-only money in three pieces:

$50 million in grants to states through the welfare program. The welfare law, which included automatic funding for the abstinence program each year, must be renewed this year. Bush will propose that the program remain at $50 million, at least for the first year. This request will be considered as part of the larger debate over what changes are needed in the welfare law, and proposals to modify the abstinence program are certain.

$73 million, an increase of $33 million, in competitive HHS grants.

$12 million, the same as this year, for the Adolescent and Family Life program, which provides money to states through a formula to work with teen mothers.