Biden Budget Proposes Modest Funding Increase for International Family Planning and Reproductive Health

Today, President Biden released his budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2023. PAI welcomes the important but modest increases for international family planning and reproductive health in the proposal. The FY 2023 request includes a total of $597 million to support bilateral family planning programs and an additional $56 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) — 7.5% over the funding level recently appropriated by Congress for FY 2022. While these increases are an improvement on current funding levels, they fall far short of meeting the U.S. fair share contribution to addressing the global unmet need for contraception.

However, we were disappointed that the proposal from the White House failed to call for robust changes in policy that could advance sexual and reproductive health and rights. This includes declining, for the second year in a row, to propose the elimination of the Helms amendment, which prohibits the use of U.S. foreign assistance funds to provide abortion services overseas. The only policy changes included are few small technical fixes, reiterated from last year, to improve the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance funds and ensure that family planning and reproductive health programs receive the same treatment as other U.S. foreign assistance programs.

“Throughout its first year in office, the Biden-Harris administration declared its strong commitment to expanding global sexual and reproductive health and rights. Yet this budget proposal lacks the same level of bold ambition. Reaching its goals will take much more than the modest funding increases requested,” said Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, PAI president and CEO.

PAI urges the Biden-Harris administration going forward to consider not only the vital funding and resources but also the policy changes that will be needed to fulfill its commitments to advancing and protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights around the world. It is now up to Congress to significantly build upon the Biden-Harris administration’s budget request as it begins to craft the FY 2023 appropriations bills and deliver the bold vision of U.S. leadership on global sexual and reproductive health and rights.

About PAI

PAI champions policies that put women, youth and at-risk communities in charge of their sexual and reproductive health and rights. We work with policymakers in Washington, D.C., and our network of more than 120 funded partners across 36 countries to remove roadblocks to access sexual and reproductive health services and support. For nearly six decades, PAI has helped communities succeed by upholding their basic rights.

To learn more, visit www.pai.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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