Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on Family Planning Legislation

We are pleased that the House of Representatives has voted to sustain the President's veto of the Labor/HHS appropriations bill. We hope that the Congress will promptly send the President this legislation without the prohibition on implementing the regulations relating to the family planning program.

The President has reiterated his commitment to preserving the confidentiality of the doctor/patient relationship and ensuring that the Title X family planning program is compatible with free speech and the highest standards of medical care.

With respect to the regulations that were affirmed by today's vote, the President has made clear that there is no "gag rule" to interfere with the doctor/patient relationship. He has directed that in implementing these regulations, nothing prevents a woman from receiving complete medical information about her condition from a physician.