Politics
Wednesday July 4, 2007
US Senate Poised to Decide Future of Mexico City Policy
Bush has vowed to veto any legislation intended to weaken federal policies or laws on abortion
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
By Peter J. Smith
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 4, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The United States Senate will soon vote on a bill that significantly undermines the current ban on providing funds to groups that directly support abortion.
Last Thursday the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a $34.2 billion 2008 foreign aid spending bill that includes $461 million for “family planning and reproductive health programs”. The bill resembles the one passed by the House of Representatives in June (HR 2764) that would provide US donated contraceptives, not funds, to overseas groups that promote abortion among indigent people.
Pro-life advocates accuse the bill of essentially overturning the US “Mexico City” policy begun by President Reagan in 1984 that prohibits any US foreign aid to groups that promote abortion in other countries. President Bush resurrected the policy in 2001 immediately upon taking office from President Bill Clinton, who had rescinded it at the beginning of his eight year term.
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), one of the House bill’s main architects, had originally drafted the legislation to provide funds for groups that promote abortion as long as they used some of it for contraception. After intense opposition, she crafted the bill so that the overseas groups would receive aid via donated US contraceptives.
However, according to pro-life Congressmen, donating contraceptives as aid would free up pro-abortion organization resources, allowing them to aggressively promote abortion in poorer countries.
“This bill represents an unconscionable policy reversal that dramatically weakens current pro-life policies,” said Republican minority leader John Boehner (R-OH). “I look forward to the President’s veto.”
Pro-life Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Bart Stupak (D-MI) offered their own pro-life amendment that would keep the Mexico City policy intact by prohibiting any US support for these groups, but it was narrowly defeated by 218-205.
The legislation is expected to have a more difficult time passing the Senate, where the Democrat majority holds control by one seat.
President Bush nevertheless has vowed he will veto any legislation intended to weaken federal policies or laws on abortion, including any proposal that would "allow taxpayer dollars to be used for the destruction of human life."
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- BREAKING: US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 220 to 215
- Stupak Amendment to Health Care Bill Passes 240 - 194 Saturday Evening
- Major Health Care Development - Pro-Life Stupak Amendment Vote OK'd for Today
- NY Times: Dems Banking on Later Squeezing Pro-Life Language Out of Bill in Committee
- USCCB Spokesman: "Definitely Not True" that Bishops Support Bill As it Stands
- TIME Got it Wrong - Prof. George Opposed Grandiose Kennedy Funeral
- USCCB Condemnation Tears Facade off "Phony" Abortion Compromise for Health Bill
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholic Left
- Dirty Fighting on Abortion Funding: Word-Games and Health-Care Theatrics Boggle the Mind
- Commentary on November 6 News
- Note to LifeSiteNews Subscribers with Rogers email addresses
- New York Gov. Declares Nov. 10 Extraordinary Legislative Session for Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Washington's Pro-Family Amendment Effort Defeated - R-71 Almost Certain to Pass
- Vote Pushed Back on Canadian Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Bill to Dec. 2
- Elderly U.K. Couple in Good Health Commit Suicide, Complain of Assisted Suicide Law
- Texas Late-Term Abortionist and Baptist Minister Admits: "Am I killing? Yes, I am"
- New Evidence Contradicts CCHD's Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner
- Quebec Priest Denies Possibility of Sexual Reorientation Therapy on TV
- New Hampshire Same-Sex "Marriage" Law in Crosshairs after Maine's Law Crumbles
- Brooklyn Bishop Criticized for Recorded Message Praising Pro-Abortion Politician
- First Group of "Traditionalist" Anglicans in Britain Votes to Enter Catholic Church
Most Read this Week
- Planned Parenthood Director Resigns after Watching Ultrasound of Abortion Procedure
- Nun Defiant Following Rebuke, but Stops Abortion Escorting
- Breaking: Dominican Community Apologizes for Nun Caught Acting as Abortion Escort
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholics Left
- Over 200 Christendom College Students Protest Abortion at Planned Parenthood Clinic
- Scottish Gay Rights Activists Found Guilty of Pedophilia Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- Newly Identified Corporate Supporters of Planned Parenthood Named
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 218 to 215
- Major Health Care Bill Development - Stupak Hyde Amendment Vote OK'd
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.