March 28, 2019

Castro Leads Texas Democratic Delegation Request to Fund Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee, led a Texas Democratic delegation request to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro and Ranking Member Tom Cole urging them to fund the continuation of the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Adolescent Health Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP).

“The TPPP is especially essential in Texas, where the most recent data indicates that the state had about 53,000 teen pregnancies a year. Despite some progress, we still have a lot to accomplish,” the Members of Congress wrote.

The Members of Congress continued: “Investment in the TPPP is making a real difference in our communities. Continued funding of evidence-based approaches in at-risk communities through the TPPP will help our young people develop into strong adults who can achieve their educational and professional goals. At the same time it will generate cost savings throughout Texas and the nation.”

The letter was also signed by Reps. Marc Veasey (TX-33); Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18); Vicente Gonzalez (TX-10); Al Green (TX-09); Filemon Vela (TX-34); Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30); Veronica Escobar (TX-16); Sylvia Garcia (TX-29); Collin Allred (TX-32); Lizzy Fletcher (TX-07); and Lloyd Doggett (TX-35).

Full text of the letter can be found here and follows.

March 28, 2019

The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
Chairwoman
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education
2413 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Tom Cole
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education
2207 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairwoman DeLauro and Ranking Member Cole:

We are writing to urge the continuation of funding for the evidence-based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP). TPPP, administered through the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Adolescent Health, was established in FY 2010 and funds 81 competitive grants in a wide variety of communities and settings across the country, using a variety of approaches.

Currently funded at $101 million, TPPP is critical because it allows communities to replicate a variety of proven approaches to preventing teen pregnancy. In addition, TPPP supports innovation and evaluation to continue learning what works best for particular settings and populations, which in turn expands options for communities and strengthens outcomes. We are requesting robust support for this grant program, which is regarded as the gold standard of evidence-based policymaking, at $110 million. We further request language protecting the integrity of the program and ensuring it is administered according to congressional intent.

The TPPP is especially essential in Texas, where the most recent data indicates that the state had about 53,000 teen pregnancies a year. Despite some progress, we still have a lot to accomplish. In 2017, our teen birth rate ranked seventh highest in the nation and at-risk and minority youth face disproportionately higher teen birth rates. Yet we know that progress pays off. The rate of teen births in Texas was 65 percent lower in 2017 than in 1991—the year rates peaked. As a result of this progress, Texas saved $418 million in 2015 alone. Nationally these savings totaled $4.4 billion that year.

Nine highly competitive grants are in the process of providing much-needed education for youth in Texas. This includes eight five-year grants (FY 2015 – FY 2019) using evidence-based approaches and one two-year grant (FY 2018 – FY 2019) developing early research. The grants serve communities with the highest need from Dallas and Southeast El Paso, to Austin, San Antonio and Bexar County, and several rural counties in South Texas. They help Latino youth, youth in juvenile detention, youth in foster care, and expecting and parenting teens by equipping them with the important life skills they need to become productive adults. 

Investment in the TPPP is making a real difference in our communities. Continued funding of evidence-based approaches in at-risk communities through the TPPP will help our young people develop into strong adults who can achieve their educational and professional goals. At the same time it will generate cost savings throughout Texas and the nation. We urge you to support funding for the program at $110 million, its original funding level, and to protect the program from ongoing efforts to subvert congressional intent. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

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