Pryce Leads Effort to Strengthen Federal Commitment to Women’s Health

February 15, 2007

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Columbus) became lead Republican cosponsor of the Women’s Health Office Act (WHOA), bipartisan legislation formalizing our nation’s commitment to ensuring adequate and equitable attention and resources to women’s health issues by providing for a permanent authorization for offices committed to women’s health.

“Despite their critically important mission and proven success, federal offices addressing women’s health issues have lacked a long-term funding commitment,” said Pryce. “In no small part due to the federal investment in the health of women, we are making significant progress in understanding, detecting, and preventing the diseases and health issues impacting women. This legislation will ensure that women’s health will continue to be a priority for medical research dollars and investment.”

“The myriad and often unique issues impacting women’s health are firmly and permanently implanted in the national consciousness,” Pryce added, “and it is time that the agencies focused on these issues have a similar permanence.”

The Women’s Health Office Act would provide permanent authorization for five offices in the U.S. Department of Human Services that focus on women’s health issues, including the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control. Currently, only the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health, and the Office for Women’s Services at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are federally authorized by statute. WHOA would secure funding through 2010.

The WHOA would also establish an Office on Women’s Health to coordinate all HHS activities relating to disease prevention, health promotion, service delivery, research, and public and health care professional education for issues of particular concern to women. In addition, the bill would establish a National Women's Health Information Center to facilitate exchange of and access to women's health information.

The legislation was introduced today by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), and mirrors similar legislative efforts in the two previous Congressional sessions.

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