Newly elected Republicans in the House of Representatives have upheld campaign promises to cut government spending. They voted to eliminate funding to implement the health reform act and funding for organisations that provide family planning and contraception through the “Title X” programme, which mostly helps low income Americans.

They also eliminated funding for the Public Broadcasting System, similar to the BBC, and for a public service organisation called AmeriCorps and cut funds for border security and the District of Columbia.

All funding for Planned Parenthood, which offers family planning, contraception, cancer screening, and counselling services, was eliminated. The organisation received about $362m (£220m; €362m) in federal grants, which amounted to a third of its revenues, its 2008-9 annual report shows. Planned …