Opening Statement of the Hon. Wally Herger, a Representative in Congress from the State of California,
and Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources

Hearing on Teen Pregnancy Prevention

November 15, 2001

Good morning and welcome to today’s Human Resources Subcommittee hearing on teen pregnancy prevention.  This hearing is a continuation of our review of welfare issues in preparation for next year’s reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program at the heart of the 1996 welfare reform law.

Three of TANF’s four basic purposes relate to preventing out-of-wedlock births, and the law included several provisions encouraging States to address the problem of teen pregnancy.  The reasons are obvious – recent decades have seen teen childbearing in particular and out-of-wedlock childbearing in general become reliable predicators of welfare receipt. 

But there is more to this issue than just welfare.  As Isabel Sawhill, President of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, put it:  “Almost no one thinks that teen unwed pregnancy and parenting is a good idea.”  I fully agree.  There are important health consequences as well for young people who are sexually active, as we will hear today. 

As we head for reauthorization of TANF in 2002, a key issue will be what progress we have made in reducing out-of-wedlock births, starting with births to teens, who as a group are the least equipped to support a baby.

The good news is that the progress made to date has been impressive.  In the 1999-2000 Annual Report of the National Strategy to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HHS reported that, “teen pregnancy and birth rates in this country have declined to record low levels.”  Further, “Trends throughout the 1990s have shown a steady reduction in teen birth rates that is now significant for all 50 States.”

The bad news is there is still a long way to go.  The United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the industrialized world.  But we are moving forward, and are interested in building on the progress we have made to date. 

Thus, among other questions, today’s hearing should help us focus on two specific questions:  First, why are we making progress against teen pregnancy and second, what further steps should we consider during next year’s reauthorization of the 1996 welfare reform law?  I look forward to exploring these issues with all of our witnesses today.