Clinton Threatens Veto
Senate Narrowly Approves Bill to Curb Clinton Administration's Crusade to Legalize Abortion in Foreign Nations

Shown below is the April 28, 1998, roll call by which the U.S. Senate approved the final version ("conference report") of a bill that contains key provisions to curb the Clinton Administration's support for groups that promote abortion in foreign nations.

The measure, known as the State Department authorization bill (HR 1757), was strongly backed by NRLC. It includes language, authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), that would prohibit the Clinton Administration from funding any organization that seeks to weaken the pro-life laws of any nation. The Administration has provided heavy funding to groups such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation-London, which is heavily involved in campaigns to repeal the pro-life laws in effect in the majority of less-developed nations, including most countries in Latin America and Africa.

In addition, the bill would cut off U.S. funding of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) because of that agency's participation in China's population-control program, which relies heavily on compulsory abortion.

On April 20, NRLC sent Senators a letter stating, "U.S.-funded private organizations, led by the London-based International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), are engaged in a systematic assault on the laws that protect unborn children in many developing nations, including most of the nations of Latin America and Africa.... Because of the critical importance of these issues, NRLC intends to 'score' the vote on the conference report on H.R. 1757 in its compilation of key right-to-life votes for the 105th Congress."

The bill passed with not a single vote to spare - - 51 to 49.

The vote on the bill was mainly along party lines. However, six Republicans opposed the bill because of the pro-life provision - - Senators Chafee (RI), Collins (Me.), Jeffords (Vt.), Roth (De.), Snowe (Me.), and Specter (Pa.). Fortunately, two pro-life Democrats - - Senators John Breaux of Louisiana and Wendell Ford of Kentucky - - provided the margin of victory.

The House had already given final approval to the measure. (See "Congressional Action on Major Pro-Life Issues Update," April 14 NRL News, page 1.)

President Clinton has threatened to veto the bill because of his opposition to the pro-life provision - - even though the bill contains another provision strongly desired by the Administration, authorizing payment of $819 million in "back dues" to the United Nations. U.N. officials have warned that the U.S. may lose its vote in the U.N. General Assembly unless these dues are paid this year.

As of May 4, the bill had not yet been sent over to the White House. "We're taking our time," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms (R-NC) explained in one press report. "I want him [President Clinton] to contemplate exactly what he's going to do to the U.N. [if he vetoes the bill]."

Helms and other congressional Republican leaders have warned that if the bill is vetoed, they will not send Clinton any other bill that contains the U.N. funds, unless it also contains the pro-life provision.

KEY

X Pro-life vote
(in favor of bill)

O Pro-abortion vote
(in opposition to bill)

Alabama
Shelby R (R) X
Sessions J (R) X

Alaska
Stevens T (R) X
Murkowski F (R) X

Arizona
McCain J (R) X
Kyl J (R) X

Arkansas
Bumpers D (D) O
Hutchinson T (R) X

California
Feinstein D (D) O
Boxer B (D) O

Colorado
Campbell B (R) X
Allard W (R) X

Connecticut
Dodd C (D) O
Lieberman J (D) O

Delaware
Roth W (R) O
Biden J (D) O

Florida
Graham B (D) O
Mack C (R) X

Georgia
Coverdell P (R) X
Cleland M (D) O

Hawaii
Inouye D (D) O
Akaka D (D) O

Idaho
Craig L (R) X
Kempthorne D (R) X

Illinois
Moseley-Braun C (D) O
Durbin R (D) O

Indiana
Lugar R (R) X
Coats D (R) X

Iowa
Grassley C (R) X
Harkin T (D) O

Kansas
Brownback S (R) X
Roberts P (R) X

Kentucky
Ford W (D) X
McConnell M (R) X

Louisiana
Breaux J (D) X
Landrieu M (D) O

Maine
Snowe O (R) O
Collins S (R) O

Maryland
Sarbanes P (D) O
Mikulski B (D) O

Massachusetts
Kennedy E (D) O
Kerry J (D) O

Michigan
Levin C (D) O
Abraham S (R) X

Minnesota
Wellstone P (D) O
Grams R (R) X

Mississippi
Cochran T (R) X
Lott T (R) X

Missouri
Bond C (R) X
Ashcroft J (R) X

Montana
Baucus M (D) O
Burns C (R) X

Nebraska
Kerrey B (D) O
Hagel C (R) X

Nevada
Reid H (D) O
Bryan R (D) O

New Hampshire
Smith R (R) X
Gregg J (R) X

New Jersey
Lautenberg F (D) O
Torricelli R (D) O

New Mexico
Domenici P (R) X
Bingaman J (D) O

New York
Moynihan D (D) O
D'Amato A (R) X

North Carolina
Helms J (R) X
Faircloth L (R) X

North Dakota
Conrad K (D) O
Dorgan B (D) O

Ohio
Glenn J (D) O
DeWine M (R) X

Oklahoma
Nickles D (R) X
Inhofe J (R) X

Oregon
Wyden R (D) O
Smith G (R) X

Pennsylvania
Specter A (R) O
Santorum R (R) X

Rhode Island
Chafee J (R) O
Reed J (D) O

South Carolina
Thurmond S (R) X
Hollings E (D) O

South Dakota
Daschle T (D) O
Johnson T (D) O

Tennessee
Thompson F (R) X
Frist B (R) X

Texas
Gramm P (R) X
Hutchison K (R) X

Utah
Hatch O (R) X
Bennett R (R) X

Vermont
Leahy P (D) O
Jeffords J (R) O

Virginia
Warner J (R) X
Robb C (D) O

Washington
Gorton S (R) X
Murray P (D) O

West Virginia
Byrd R (D) O
Rockefeller J (D) O

Wisconsin
Kohl H (D) O
Feingold R (D) O

Wyoming
Thomas C (R) X
Enzi M (R) X