WASHINGTON (Nov. 16) - - As expected, President Clinton has vetoed a bill that would have placed curbs on the Administration 's promotion of abortion through the foreign aid program.
Clinton vetoed the bill on October 21, even though it authorized payment of "back dues" to the United Nations, which Clinton and his appointees have insisted is crucial to U.S. interests.
The pro-life language was sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who is the co-chairman of the House Pro-life Caucus and chairman of the International Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights. It would have restored part of the " Mexico City Policy," a pro-life policy that was enforced by Presidents Reagan and Bush from 1984-92.
The U.S. provides about a half-billion dollars annually for overseas population-control programs. A 1973 law (the Helms Amendment) prohibits the direct use of these funds to pay for abortion procedures. But under the Clinton Administration, much of the money is going to private organizations - - such as the London-based International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) - - that are working to repeal the pro-life laws that are in effect in most less-developed nations. Some of these organizations also perform abortions with non-U.S. funds.
The Smith language would prohibit the Administration from giving any funds to organizations that seek to change foreign abortion laws, or that violate such laws. In addition, if the Administration gave any funds to any organization that performs abortions with non-U.S. funds, the overall funding for the " population assistance" program would automatically be reduced by $44 million.
Days earlier, congressional leaders were forced to drop this pro- life language from a $520 billion omnibus appropriations bill, after Clinton vowed to veto the entire massive bill if the provision was included. (See "Clinton Veto Power Results in Mixed Bag," Oct. 12 NRL News, page 10, and "Omnibus Bill Contains Some Pro-Life Gains," this issue, this page.)
Instead, the Smith language was sent to Clinton as part of the State Department authorization bill (HR 1757). Congressional leaders coupled the pro-life provision to a big "carrot" - - authorization for payment of $926 million in disputed U.S. "back dues" (called "arrears") to the United Nations. President Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and other Administration officials have insisted that the U.S. would lose crucial influence at the U.N. unless these "arrears" are promptly paid.
Nevertheless, when the combination bill was sent to Clinton on October 21, he promptly vetoed it.
In his veto statement, Clinton said the pro-life language would " restrict the free speech" of foreign organizations "that use their own funds to engage in any activity intended to alter the laws of a foreign country" on abortion. Clinton said this would " severely jeopardize the ability of the United States to meet the growing demand for family planning" in foreign nations.
In a printed statement responding to the veto, Congressman Smith said that the provision "would protect unborn children by prohibiting a particularly ugly form of cultural imperialism, in which U.S. taxpayer dollars support entities that are actively engaged in bullying smaller nations into rejecting the traditions and moral values of their people." Smith also noted that many lawmakers would not have supported the U.N. arrears funding standing alone, but voted to approve it for the sake of the pro-life provision. In light of Clinton's refusal to accept the pro-life restriction, the U.N. funding issue "may fester for years to come," Smith concluded.
NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson commented, "President Clinton says that U.S. funding of the United Nations is critical to American interests - - but he gave higher priority to keeping the international abortion lobby happy."