Letter to Hon. Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services - In Response to NH Executive Council Vote to Defund Granite State Family Planning Organizations, NH Delegation Urges Biden Admin to Swiftly Award Supplemental Assistance Directly to Impacted Providers

Letter

Dear Secretary Becerra,
We write to draw your attention to critical funding shortfalls facing multiple family planning
providers in New Hampshire and to urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) to take immediate action to provide supplemental relief to the impacted family planning
providers in our state.
On September 15th, New Hampshire's Executive Council voted to defund four of New
Hampshire's nine family planning providers. Three of the providers who lost their state-level
family planning funding, due to the Executive Council's vote, had previously withdrawn from
the Title X program, in 2019, due to the so-called "Title X Gag Rule" and the limitations it set on
the providers' ability to provide comprehensive care. In 2019, the State of New Hampshire
included in its budget an additional $3.2 million in state-level grant funding to support the
program over a two-year period. These state funds were critical in supporting family planning
providers who experienced the loss of Title X funds. Unfortunately, the New Hampshire
legislature did not include this temporary funding in their most recent budget. Now, as a result of
the Executive Council vote, multiple family planning providers are not receiving any federal or
state funds to support their vital work, despite successfully demonstrating that state family
planning funds do not support abortion services in compliance with an audit mandated by the
State of New Hampshire.
As a result of the Executive Council's actions, multiple family planning providers are facing
budgetary shortfalls that will impact the availability of health care to thousands of Granite
Staters, mainly women, who rely on family planning providers for vital health care including
breast cancer screenings, cervical cancer screenings, contraception and other reproductive health
services. Low-income and rural women will be disproportionately impacted by the Executive
Council's reckless decision. We are deeply concerned with the gap in access to health care that
will be inevitable without immediate federal support.
In light of the emergent situation in New Hampshire, we request that HHS explore all available
means to provide immediate support to the impacted family planning providers in our state. We
appreciate HHS's efforts to rescind the harmful Title X Gag Rule and restore federal funding to
the family planning providers, in New Hampshire and across the country. However, New Hampshire's family planning providers are in need of immediate assistance. Therefore, we ask
that supplemental funds be made available expeditiously and directly to providers to overcome
the funding gap they are facing.
The State of New Hampshire was awarded $63,120 in one-time, supplemental funds to support
current Title X grantees. However, these funds were awarded to the State of New Hampshire
Department of Health and Human Services, not directly to the family planning providers.
Unfortunately, in order for these federal funds to be granted to family planning providers
experiencing funding shortfalls, the contracts will need to be approved by the Executive Council,
the same body that recently made clear they intend to defund the providers in need of assistance.
Section 2605 of the American Rescue Plan provided $50 million in federal funds to support
family planning programs. Given that the $63,120 in supplemental funds previously awarded to
the State of New Hampshire is not likely to reach the family planning providers it was intended
to support, we request that HHS ensure that New Hampshire's allocation of family planning
awards provided by the American Rescue Plan goes directly to the impacted providers in New
Hampshire. We believe the unique and emergent situation in our state warrants immediate action
to provide supplemental federal funds to bridge the gap in funding for these providers until the
Title X program is fully restored.
We appreciate your urgent attention to this matter and our offices stand ready to work with you
to deliver this critical relief to New Hampshire's family planning providers and the patients they
serve.