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 President Bush resurrected the policy in 2001 immediately upon taking office from President Bill Clinton, who had rescinded it at the beginning of his eight year term.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.”