Senate OKs Funding Overseas Abortion Advocates
- Sep 11, 2007 - comment
In the Senate’s first week in Washington after a month-long recess, a majority of the body sent a grim reminder to the American people of their intent to weaken pro-life policies, while President Bush issued a strikingly different reminder that he intends to guard existing pro-life policies.
The Senate rejected Sept. 6 a measure to reaffirm a long-standing pro-life policy that prohibits federal funds from supporting organizations that perform or promote abortions in foreign countries. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) admirably led the pro-life effort by offering an amendment to the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bill (H.R. 2764) to protect the Mexico City Policy, which mandates that organizations may receive aid through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) only if they agree not to perform abortions, to lobby foreign governments to revise their abortion laws, or to promote abortion as a method of family planning.
The amendment failed 41-53, with seven Republicans joining 44 Democrats and two independents in opposition.
Just prior to the vote on Sen. Brownback’s amendment, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) offered an amendment of her own to effectively repeal the Mexico City Policy. The Senate approved it by the inverse margin, 53-41.
President Reagan first instituted the Mexico City Policy in 1984. It was rescinded years later under President Clinton before President George W. Bush reinstated the policy upon taking office in 2001.
All was not lost, however, during that day’s battle to protect the sanctity of human life. The Senate chose to protect what is known as the Kemp-Kasten law, which prohibits federally-funding an organization that “supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.” Without the Kemp-Kasten provision, the U.S. could find itself in the position of funding the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which is linked to China’s program of forced abortion under its one-child policy. The measure to preserve Kemp-Kasten, also attached to H.R. 2764 by Sen. Brownback, narrowly passed 48-45.
The overall bill, which includes both a defeat and a victory for the sanctity of human life, passed 81-12.
In June, the House rejected an amendment to protect the Mexico City Policy within the foreign spending bill by a narrow margin of 205-218. The House ultimately approved the full bill, which includes the Kemp-Kasten provision, 241-178.
The House and Senate now must iron out the differences between their bills before sending a final version to the president.
The Bush Administration, to its credit, reminded Congress Sept. 6 by formal statement that the president would veto H.R. 2764 because, in addition to falling short of his funding request, it eliminates the Mexico City Policy. President Bush has reaffirmed his strong pro-life stance in recent months, most notably in a letter sent in May to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stating that he would not hesitate to use his veto pen on any bill that weakens current pro-life policy.
All individuals who believe federal taxpayer dollars should not be sent to organizations that perform or promote abortions should tell their senators and congressmen to oppose the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bill (H.R. 2764) if it does not protect the Mexico City Policy. Also, President Bush should be thanked for his commitment to protect human life. You can contact them here.
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