House Backs Funds to Boost Infant Survival
The House on Monday approved allocating an extra $30 million to community and migrant medical centers, a move aimed at reducing infant deaths.
The bill, passed on a voice vote, requires the Department of Health and Human Services to give spending priority to centers that serve high-risk areas and to population groups with high infant mortality rates.
The bill was sent to the Senate, which passed a similar measure Aug. 6. Conferees will work on a compromise between the two.
The Reagan Administration opposes the legislation. It has proposed instead to test innovative ways of providing services to Medicaid-eligible pregnant women and infants up to a year old.
When the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the House version last month, several Republican members called it unnecessary and said they found no reason to believe the extra spending would help more newborns survive.
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